The beliefs of pregnant women about dental care during gestation

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva Vol. 13; no. 3; p. 1075
• Main Authors: Codato, Lucimar Aparecida Britto, Nakama, Luiza, Melchior, Regina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Brazil 01-05-2008
• Subjects: Attitude to Health; Dental Care; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Prenatal Care
• ISSN: 1678-4561
• DOI: 10.1590/S1413-81232008000300030

The objective of this study was identifying beliefs of pregnant women, both users of the Unified Health System (the Brazilian Healthcare System) and women assisted by the private sector, with respect to oral health and dental care during their pregnancy. The approach used in this survey was theme-based qualitative content analysis. The subjects' comprehension of the objectives of this study was checked in semi-structured interviews, a total of 20. Analysis and interpretation of the collected data revealed the existence of myths, fears and restrictions with regard to prenatal dental care. According to our findings the users of the Unified Health System seem to have dental visits on a more systematic and regular basis than the users of the private health sector, probably because the dental services offered by the prenatal program of the Primary Care Units is providing them with an opportunity to solve pre-existing dental problems. On the other hand, the users of the private health system seem to avoid scheduling dental visits during pregnancy.