Building scientific knowledge based on the solution of clinical cases: A contemporary learning process

The construction of scientific knowledge based on the solution of clinical cases, also called problem-situation or case study, is a contemporary methodology, centered on the student, problematizing, teaching-learning, which allows to know the previous knowledge of the group in the face of the presented situation, as well as identifying learning needs, building new meanings and knowledge, in addition to developing specific skills for self-learning. Strategically, it is the insertion, during a course, of a social material (texts, audios, printed matter, videos), whose analysis and discussion allow to contextualize the theoretical content. This work aims to present an experience in the construction, application and evaluation of clinical cases aimed at students in the fifth period of the dentistry course at Itpac - Porto Nacional in 2020. Clinical cases were previously screened by the teacher of endodontics at the multidisciplinary clinic at Itpac - Porto Nacional and presented to students in the classroom. The students were instructed to organize themselves in groups, a time of 1 hour was established for discussion of clinical cases and websites, scientific articles and books were made available to assist in solving the proposed activity. After the end of the established time, each group presented the diagnosis of each clinical situation presented. Based on this experience, it is possible to conclude that the use of clinical cases as a pedagogical practice brings students closer to the social reality and leads them to build networks of knowledge, making them active subjects in the learning process, without renouncing the depth and specificity knowledge that a dental student needs to develop.