The process of examiner calibration is an essential step in all epidemiological research, as it aims to ensure uniform interpretation, understanding, and application of the instrument to be used. This ensures that the data collected will be valid and reliable. This study aimed to determine the differences in concordance in dental caries calibration across three dental specialties. The population consisted of 45 dentists, divided into three groups: 15 general dentists working in the public sector, 15 dentists specializing in Dental Public Health, and 15 dentists specializing in Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry. The calibration process was carried out in three stages: theory, calibration using photographs, and calibration on natural teeth, performed by the gold standard. In the first validity process, a statistical difference was only found between the Kappa values of the inter-examiner calibration process using photographs. For the evaluation of teeth, in the second validity process, 33.33% (n = 15) of the participants achieved “almost perfect agreement.” Finally, only 75.56% (n = 34) of the examiners were considered for the reliability report; of this group, 52.94% (n = 18) were in “almost perfect agreement,” and 35.29% (n = 12) were in “substantial agreement.” The validity and reliability of the dental caries experience calibration process did not present significant statistical differences between general dentists in the public sector, dentists specializing in Dental Public Health, and dentists specializing in Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry.

The DMFT index is an optimal tool for assessing dental caries experience over a person's lifetime, necessitating that examiners of these epidemiological indices be properly standardized through a rigorous process such as calibration. The objective of the study was to develop a calibration process for diagnosing dental caries using the DMFT index among three groups of dentists. A cross-sectional study conducted with a population of 15 dentists who volunteered to participate, organized into 3 groups based on their area of practice. The calibration process was conducted both virtually and in-person. Statistical analysis involved calculating validity and reliability values using the Kappa coefficient, with a confidence level of 95% and significance set at p<0.05. For photographic results, Kappa values ranged from 0.55 (p<0.001) to 0.91 (p<0.001) in the first process, and from 0.73 (<0.001) to 1.00 (<0.001) in the second process. For dental assessments, values ranged from 0.20 (p=0.090) to 0.81 (p<0.001) in the first stage, and from 0.31 (p=0.002) to 0.89 (p<0.001) in the second. Out of the initial 15 examiners, 46.67% (n=7) achieved "almost perfect agreement" and 20.00% (n=3) achieved "substantial agreement."

Research in dentistry plays a crucial role in the education and development of professionals while advancing scientific knowledge and continuously improving dental care. This study aimed to characterize research courses within dental programs at universities across Latin America and the Caribbean. A cross-sectional study analyzed 248 curricula from dental programs in the region in 2023. Of the 248 programs reviewed, 178 included a research course, with 16.85% (n=30) originating from Peru. South America had the highest representation, accounting for 74.72%, and 57.87% (n=103) of the research courses were from private institutions. Research courses are concentrated in South America, with Peru leading in the number and percentage of courses. At the institutional level, private universities had a more substantial presence of research courses compared to public institutions. Additionally, the association between the percentage of research courses and the Scimago ranking underscores the importance of research in enhancing academic prestige and driving institutional innovation.