Nivel de conocimiento y detección de manifestaciones bucales de sífilis en estudiantes de Odontología de la UCSG.

Abstract

Introduction: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection with an increasing global and local incidence, where dentists play a crucial role in early diagnosis by detecting oral manifestations. Objective: To evaluate the level of knowledge and self-perceived competence regarding syphilis and its oral manifestations among dental students at the Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil. Methodology: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with 197 students from the 4th to the 10th semester. A validated questionnaire was used to assess three dimensions: etiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis/treatment, alongside self-perceived clinical confidence. Results: The overall knowledge average was 9.08 points. While 79.7% of the sample passed the theoretical threshold, critical weaknesses were identified in recognizing systemic symptoms of the secondary stage (46.7% accuracy). A statistically significant difference was found between semesters (p = 0,014), with fourth-semester students showing superior performance (3.67) compared to tenth-semester students (2.65). Regarding self-perception, only 26.4% of participants felt confident in diagnosing the disease in a real clinical setting. Conclusions: There is an acceptable but fragmented level of theoretical knowledge, with an evident academic regression in the final cycles. The low self-perceived competence highlights the need to strengthen practical training through the implementation of pathology clinics with real patients to transform theoretical knowledge into effective diagnostic skills.