INTEGRAÇÃO ENSINO-SERVIÇO-COMUNIDADE NA FORMAÇÃO ODONTOLÓGICA A PARTIR DA ANÁLISE CURRICULAR DE DUAS INSTITUIÇÕES DE ENSINO SUPERIOR

The integration of teaching, service, and community constitutes a fundamental axis for the training of critical, reflective, and socially committed dentists (DS) who are committed to public health. This study aimed to analyze how the National Curricular Guidelines (DCN) enacted in 2021 for Dentistry programs materializes in the curricula of two Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), one public and one private, focusing on the articulation between teaching and health services, especially within the Unified Health System (SUS). This is a descriptive, analytical study with a quantitative and qualitative approach, based on a documentary analysis of the official guidelines of the Ministries of Health and Education, and their respective Councils, as well as the curricular matrices that comprise the Course Pedagogical Projects (PPC). The results show that both HEIs, at different levels of healthcare, include curricular components and practices that foster teaching-service-community integration, albeit with specificities regarding workload, internship location distribution, and real-world practice settings. Although the curricular documents are aligned with the National Curricular Guidelines (DCN), challenges remain in fully implementing training that meets social demands, enables internships to be included in political agendas as priority needs, and meets the SUS and Constitutional principles for strengthening the SUS through generalist healthcare professionals. Teaching-service-community integration is an ongoing process that requires institutional commitment, intersectoral coordination, and ongoing pedagogical adaptation to maximize the social impact of dental education.