Abstract
The objective of this study is to describe the experiences acquired by undergraduate students during the development of the university outreach project "Adopt a Smile", from the interaction with elderly people residing in long-term institutions. Twelve undergraduate students from the Dentistry course at the Federal University of Campina Grande worked under the supervision of a professor from April to December 2017. Most institutionalized elderly people showed a significant deficit in self-esteem, aspects related to loss of identity and a need, often exacerbated, to be noticed and listened to with due attention. After the end of the coexistence period, it was possible to conclude that the outreach project achieved its main objectives, as it provided the establishment of bonds between the institutionalized elderly people and the dentistry students in that group. It also rescued the elderly's self-esteem, and awakened a more humanized side in the eyes of the participating students.
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