Evolución histórica del perfil profesional del odontólogo: del enfoque técnico-artesanal a la educación basada en competencias

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Thalía Gabriela Álvarez Centeno

Abstract

El perfil profesional del odontólogo ha experimentado una evolución significativa a lo largo de la historia, influenciada por transformaciones científicas, educativas y sociales que han redefinido la formación universitaria en ciencias de la salud. El objetivo del presente artículo fue analizar la evolución histórica del perfil profesional del odontólogo, desde sus orígenes técnico-artesanales hasta su configuración actual basada en competencias, considerando referentes internacionales y el contexto de la educación superior en Ecuador. Se desarrolló una revisión bibliográfica de tipo narrativa con enfoque histórico-analítico, a partir de fuentes científicas indexadas en Scopus, SciELO y Web of Science, así como documentos de organismos internacionales vinculados a la educación y la salud. Los resultados evidencian un tránsito progresivo desde una formación centrada en la destreza técnica y el paradigma biomédico hacia un modelo integral orientado al desarrollo de competencias clínicas, éticas, comunicativas, investigativas y sociales, alineadas con estándares internacionales de calidad. En el contexto ecuatoriano, este proceso se articula con reformas curriculares y mecanismos de aseguramiento de la calidad en la educación superior, aunque persisten desafíos en la coherencia entre el perfil declarado y su implementación efectiva. Se concluye que el enfoque por competencias constituye un eje fundamental para fortalecer la pertinencia, calidad y responsabilidad social del perfil profesional del odontólogo, y que el análisis histórico del mismo aporta bases teóricas relevantes para la mejora continua de la formación odontológica.


 

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How to Cite
Álvarez Centeno, T. G. (2026). Evolución histórica del perfil profesional del odontólogo: del enfoque técnico-artesanal a la educación basada en competencias. ECOCIENCIA Scientific Journal, 13(1), 36–52. https://doi.org/10.21855/ecociencia.131.1135
Section
Educación
Author Biography

Thalía Gabriela Álvarez Centeno, Universidad de Guayaquil

Dr. Thalia Gabriela Álvarez Centeno is a distinguished Ecuadorian professional in the field of dentistry, with strong academic training and a significant research trajectory in areas such as legal dentistry, forensic medicine, public health, and university teaching. She earned her degree in Dentistry from the University of Guayaquil in 2008 and strengthened her academic profile with two master’s degrees completed in 2025: one in Public Health from the State University of Milagro and another in Higher Education from the Latin University of Panama. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Education at the University of Santander, consolidating a transdisciplinary education focused on teaching, research, and academic management.

In the academic field, she has served as a professor at various higher education institutions since 2011 and is currently a faculty member and part of the academic management team in the Sub-Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Guayaquil. Her professional practice is complemented by her role as an external forensic dentistry expert for the Judicial Council of Ecuador, contributing to the justice system through a technical and ethical approach to forensic dentistry.

She is an active member of national and international scientific organizations, including the Ecuadorian Society of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences and the Spanish Association of Anthropology and Forensic Dentistry, and has participated as a speaker at national and international conferences, including academic events in India and Spain.

Her scientific production includes publications in indexed journals and book chapters, addressing topics such as dental management of diabetic patients, forensic application of palatal rugoscopy, and the connection between dentistry, maternal and child health, and forensic sciences. Among her most notable publications is an article in the Academic Journal of Anthropological Studies (India, 2025) on the comparative analysis of palatal rugae in children, which represents an innovative contribution to forensic identification from a dental perspective.

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