Abstract
Background: Since the 1970s, the World Health Organization has defined four-handed dentistry as a simplified method with defined tasks within the work team. It has been mainly implemented in clinics and universities in Brazil, the United States, Spain, and Chile. The comprehensive adult dental clinic (Sixth semester) and the pediatric dental clinic (Seventh and Eighth semesters) of the pre-doctoral dental program at El Bosque University’ Dental School (Bogotá, Colombia) use this method. However, theory on four-handed dentistry has not been included in the curriculum yet. Purpose: To explore and describe the influence of the four-handed method in the training of general dentists in order to justify its inclusion in the predoctoral curriculum. Methods: A search of articles was carried out until June 2020. Full-text selected articles were analyzed, and findings related to this study’s purpose were included in the review. Results: 13 articles were chosen. Findings are organized in three thematic axes: background and general aspects of the technique, benefits of the technique in the training of general dentists, and description of the four-handed care model as an exercise in the pediatric dental clinics, also called Growth and Development clinics, at El Bosque University. Conclusions: Patient care using a four-handed method can contribute to the development of soft skills, critical thinking, problem solving through collaborative work, and promoting meaningful learning in students.
Highlights
In Latin America, the teaching-care relationship describes three fundamental concepts: a) care vision, as an alternative for universities to participate in the supply of health services; b) teachingeducational vision, conceived as a pedagogical strategy that allows learning linked to the work of the assistance services; and c) transformative vision, defined as a strategy that articulates educational institutions and health services, in an effort to adapt it to the real needs of the population (1)
Taking into account that dental care service delivery is governed by internal statutes within each school, which in turn are conditioned to different national and international standards, students and future professionals who develop activities in clinics must know how to articulate three aspects into their activity: a) work rules, b) knowledge and skills corresponding to their area of praxis, and c) teamwork
To familiarize young dental professionals and clinicians with the concepts of four-handed dentistry and the ways in which current technology can be applied in the modern dental office
Summary
In Latin America, the teaching-care relationship describes three fundamental concepts: a) care vision, as an alternative for universities to participate in the supply of health services; b) teachingeducational vision, conceived as a pedagogical strategy that allows learning linked to the work of the assistance services; and c) transformative vision, defined as a strategy that articulates educational institutions and health services, in an effort to adapt it to the real needs of the population (1). Since the 1970s, the World Health Organization (WHO) has defined the four-handed care technique in dentistry as a simplified care modality with well-defined tasks within the work team (4) This modality offers better performance, greater productivity, and the safeguarding of ergonomic principles that protect the health of professionals (5,7) and favors student learning by doing, teamwork, assertive communication, and critical thinking during clinical activities, while generating a space for knowledge socialization (8). Vega (2010) states that four-handed dentistry was developed in the 190s as a result of research carried out at the University of Alabama School of Dentistry It is mentioned for the first time in the proceedings of the Training Dental Students to Use Chairside Assistant's conference, and described as the coordinated exercise between two operators working at the same time on the same operative field, establishing defined tasks for each member of the team (10,11). The four-handed method has clear goals: saving clinical time, greater control of body posture, dentist’s increased focus on work, reducing dentist’s role in other procedures such as transfer of materials and instruments, and increased productivity (7,11,14)
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