Integration of Social Responsibility and Financial Literacy in Dental Education: An Approach to Professional Sustainability

Dental education faces the challenge of integrating clinical competencies with social and financial skills, which are essential for ethical and sustainable practice. However, there is a gap in the scientific literature regarding the relationship between social responsibility and financial literacy in dental students, especially in Latin American contexts. This study analyzes this relationship in 27 students from a Peruvian public university, using the HSRS Scale and a financial self-assessment questionnaire. The results show that 77.8% of the students have a very high level of social responsibility and 85.2% have a high or very high level of financial literacy. Pearson's evaluation coefficient revealed a significant relationship (r = 0.488, p < 0.01) between both variables. Four differentiated student profiles were identified and specific educational strategies were proposed. This finding drives a curricular reconfiguration aligned with SDGs 3 and 4, promoting a posthuman, integral and committed dentist model.