Factors Involved in the Choice of Dentistry as an Occupation by Pernambuco Dental Students in Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the factors that lead to the choice of dentistry as an occupation among dental students in Pernambuco, Brazil. A total of 1,024 students were surveyed. All participants were enrolled in dentistry courses in the state of Pernambuco in 2008. Pearson's chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used for the statistical analysis of the data, with the level of significance set at 5.0 percent. The results demonstrated that the choice of occupation was made primarily for economic reasons (73.5 percent), followed by vocational reasons (68.3 percent), professional reasons (67.8 percent), and personal reasons (56.6 percent).