The aim of this study was to analyze the professor-student relationship at the Federal University of Espírito Santo's school of Dentistry and to discuss the possible impact this relationship has in the teaching-learning process. This is a quantitative exploratory study under which questionnaires containing both closed and open questions were applied to 130 students and 40 professors. The results show that 49% of the students and 45% of the professors believe the professor-student relationship is good. When asked whether they had been reprimanded by the professors in front of a patient, 35% of students responded they had never been, while 65% said they had at least once. The trust in education was worked on by asking the professor if he or she would bring a relative to be treated at the school's clinics. In total, 47% responded positively, showing confidence in the students, in the professors' guidance, and in the quality of care as a guide for their decisions. The professor-student relationship is considered good for both, but a few factors were singled out as negative interferences in the quality of the teaching-learning process, such as the lack of accessibility and educational and social interaction among the players, the professors' arrogance and bullying, and the students' lack of understanding of their limits.
health education; teaching; learning; dentistry
