Exploratory-descriptive study on the attitudes of Costa Rican dentists towards the interdisciplinary application of psychological principles in oral consultation

Abstract

Introduction: At present times, an interdisciplinary approach between dentistry and psychology is necessary, to
allow applying the psychological component to the oral environment. Objective: To know and explore the attitudes
of the Costa Rican dentists about psychology, it´s importance and potential contributions in the dynamics and
professional performance. Materials and methods: A quantitative methodology with descriptive-exploratory
transectional design was used; in which, a survey of 10 multiple choice questions was applied, covering the
sociodemographic data and the components (adaptation of the Gómez and Gómez questionnaire, 2007) to a
sample of 334 dentists, members of the Association of Dental Surgeons of Costa Rica. Results: The findings reflect
that 88.32% of the participants consider the psychosocial aspects of their patients “quite important”, while 79.94%

indicated that the collaboration between both sciences produces tangible benefits in the provision of dental services;
likewise, 82.04% of those surveyed mentioned that it is “quite important” to receive specialized training in the
psychological area with a comprehensive-preventive approach. Conclusion: Professionals demonstrate favorable /
positive attitudes about the interdisciplinary action of the psychological component in the daily work of the dentist
and his team, for which research should be continued to delve into concurrent variables and other associated
determinants.