Integra？？o ensino-servi？o-comunidade: o estágio na aten？？o básica da gradua？？o em Odontologia

this article deals with the perception and understanding of undergraduate students about the importance of the experience and practice in primary health care. a qualitative case study method was used to keep coherence with the research problem. the participants were students who had their curriculum training in the primary health care of the school of dentistry, federal university of rio grande do sul, from 2006 to 2009. data collection not only included document analysis but also the reports on students' field diaries written weekly. data were analyzed through discursive textual analysis. the possibility of practical learning and the situations and difficulties experienced in the traineeship have strengthened students' autonomy, communication, and decision-making, enabling them to understand the ways of organizing and managing health work. finally, the students' presences in the primary health care have been decisive in advancing the curriculum proposal, approximating the university to the community and service.