Evaluation of the medical emergency training requirements : of final-year Dentistry students at two higher education institutes in Portugal and Spain

Dentistry has shown a tremendous development in procedures, materials and techniques that are increasingly conservative, with the objective of promoting the rehabilitation of the maxillo-mandibular complex. However, this Health field is not free of risks, which can take place in the context of daily professional practice. Although uncommon, medical emergencies can occur in a dental clinic and affect anyone - before, during or after a clinical intervention. Therefore, in addition to the events specifically concerning their patients' oral health, the dentist should also be prepared to treat other episodes related to their general health. This study seeks to evaluate the capacity to act and the training requirements in the field of Medical Emergency of final-year students in two Dentistry institutes (ISCSEM and UB) located respectively in Portugal and Spain. The results indicate that students have gaps in theoretical knowledge and reveal a large degree of insecurity regarding certain medical emergency techniques and situations that may occur in the dental clinic and that they are not fully capable of acting in this area.