Abstract

This is a qualitative and exploratory research that aimed to analyze the oral health self-perception of adults and elderly people from the South of Brazil who were being treated at a university-based Dental Teaching Hospital. Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out, recorded by an audio equipment, and transcribed. The textual material was interpreted by thematic content analysis. The sample consisted of 46 individuals. Expressions of a body in discomfort, marked by limitations in physiological functions (chewing, speaking, taste) and in sociocultural functions (social life, employment, appearance, smiling, habits) of daily life were present in the narratives of people who perceived their oral health negatively. There were reports of non-use of prostheses or use of inadequate ones, dental diseases, bad breath and pain, which mobilized different feelings (despair, nervousness, irritation, shame, embarrassment, oppression). The opportunity of recovering this body through access and adherence to dental treatment brought the possibility of a 'corporal relearning' so that this body could continue to interact in the world. Understanding how people perceive themselves regarding their oral health has the potential for providing more humanized and effective care, allowing the subject to have more autonomy/participation in decisions about their treatment.

Keywords:
Self-perception; Oral health; Quality of life; Qualitative research

Introduction

The implementation of the Brazilian National Health System, known as SUS (BRASIL, 1988), the inclusion of the oral health team in the Family Health Strategy (BRASIL, 2000), and the institution of a National Oral Health Policy (BRASIL, 2004) have brought changes to the oral healthcare provided for Brazilians. The provision of health services characterized exclusively by low complexity actions with a curative and mutilating focus, mostly targeted at schoolchildren, has been replaced by universal access and by the amplification and qualification of oral health promotion, prevention and recovery (PUCCA JÚNIOR et al., 2009; COSTA; CHAGAS; SILVESTRE, 2006COSTA, J. F. R.; CHAGAS, L. de D.; SILVESTRE, R. M. (Org.). A Política Nacional de Saúde Bucal do Brasil: registro de uma conquista histórica. Brasília: OPAS/OMS: Ministério da Saúde, 2006. p. 41-42.).

In a context where the provision of comprehensive care is the goal, a proposal for reorienting the conceptions and practices of oral health assistance and planning has been established by means of the discussion of an amplified clinic targeted at meeting the needs and demands perceived by people. This new clinic assumes responsibilities towards the other and enables the understanding of subjective aspects, not only of physical aspects, in the care process (BOTAZZO et al., 2015BOTAZZO, C. et al. Inovação na produção do cuidado em saúde bucal. Possibilidades de uma nova abordagem na clínica odontológica para o Sistema Único de Saúde. Relatório Técnico. São Paulo, 2015.; CUNHA, 2010CUNHA, G. T. A construção da clínica ampliada na atenção básica. 3. ed. São Paulo: Hucitec, 2010.; BRASIL, 2007).

This debate is grounded on the relationship between health, oral health and quality of life and on the importance of people’s subjective experiences about their own functional, social and psychological wellbeing (LOCKER, 1997LOCKER, D. Clinical correlates of chance in self-perceived oral health in older adults. Community Dent. Oral Epidemiol. Copenhagen, v. 25, n. 3, p. 199-203, June 1997.), reinventing the historical practice of Dentistry that views the mouth as a fragmented organ devoid of a body (PIRES; BOTAZZO, 2015PIRES, F. S.; BOTAZZO, C. Organização tecnológica do trabalho em saúde bucal no SUS: uma arqueologia da política nacional de saúde bucal. Saúde Soc. São Paulo, v. 24, n. 1, p. 273-284, 2015.).

Although ‘quality of life’ encompasses multiple meanings, it is a conception that interacts with the degree of satisfaction found in family life, love life, social life and environmental life. In addition, it is related to existential esthetics; therefore, it is a social-cultural construction. It implies a cultural synthesis of the elements that a certain society considers as its standard of comfort and wellbeing (MINAYO, 2000). Thus, daily activities like chewing, speaking and smiling, as well as appearance and social relations, can be affected by tooth loss, contributing to reduce the quality of life of people (LIMA et al., 2018LIMA, C. V. et al. Falta de dentição funcional influencia na autopercepção da necessidade de tratamento em adultos: estudo de base populacional no Brasil. Cad. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 26, n. 1, p. 63-69, 2018.).

Knowledge about oral health self-perception is a tool that enables to understand people’s behavior in the context of daily life, as well as their experiences, social and cultural influences (DIAZ-REISSNER; CASAS-GARCIA; ROLDAN-MERINO, 2017DIAZ-REISSNER, C. V.; CASAS-GARCIA, I.; ROLDAN-MERINO, J. Calidad de vida relacionada con salud oral: impacto de diversas situaciones clínicas odontológicas y factores socio-demográficos. Revisión de la literatura. Int. J. Odontostomat. Temuco, v. 11, n. 1, p. 31-39, abr. 2017.; MELO et al., 2016MELO, L. A. et al. Fatores associados à autopercepção negativa da saúde bucal em idosos institucionalizados. Ciên. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 21, n. 11, p. 3339-3346, nov. 2016.; SILVA; FERNANDES, 2001SILVA, S. R. C.; FERNANDES, R. A. C. Autopercepção das condições de saúde bucal por idosos. Rev. Saúde Pública. São Paulo, v. 35, n. 4, p. 349-355, ago. 2001.). Such knowledge can be relevant to the planning and adherence to treatment, and it can contribute to the success of interventions performed by health professionals (LINDEMANN et al., 2019LINDEMANN, I. L. et al. Autopercepção da saúde entre adultos e idosos usuários da Atenção Básica de Saúde. Ciênc. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 24, n. 1, p. 45-52, 2019.). Negative self-perception has been associated with a lower number of teeth in the mouth, presence of bleeding, and need for a dental prosthesis. These conditions cause discomfort and compromise the chewing function; in addition, they can generate a negative perception of the mouth’s esthetics, causing dissatisfaction when the person speaks or smiles (BIDINOTTO et al. 2017BIDINOTTO, A. B. et al. Autopercepção de saúde bucal em comunidades quilombolas no Rio Grande do Sul: um estudo transversal exploratório. Rev. Bras. Epidemiologia. São Paulo, v. 20, n. 1, p. 91-101, jan./mar. 2017.; VALE; MENDES; MOREIRA, 2013VALE, E. B.; MENDES, A. C. G.; MOREIRA, R. S. Autopercepção da saúde bucal entre adultos na região Nordeste do Brasil. Rev. Saúde Pública. São Paulo, v. 47, supl. 3, p. 98-108, dez. 2013.). On the other hand, people who do not have difficulties to speak, smile or chew report a positive health self-perception, resulting in satisfaction with their oral health (RIGO et al., 2015RIGO, L. et al. Satisfação com a vida, experiência odontológica e autopercepção da saúde bucal entre idosos. Ciên. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 20, n. 12, p. 3681-3688, dez. 2015.).

Understanding self-perception as a care tool and a determinant of health services use, this study aimed to analyze oral health self-perception in adults and elderly people undergoing dental treatment at a public university located in the south of Brazil.

Methodology

This is a qualitative and exploratory study carried out at a university-based Dental Teaching Hospital located in the south of Brazil. Linked to a public higher education institution, the hospital is an oral healthcare facility with undergraduate, graduate, research and extension activities developed in the three periods of the day. A Dental Specialty Center also integrates this service, assisting users of the city’s SUS network. It has 3,040m2, 143 dental offices, three areas for diagnostic imaging, a waste disposal area, a sterilization area, and a Material Distribution Center.

The selection of the sample was intentional. Adults and elderly individuals aged 18 years or older, of both sexes, who were undergoing treatment at that healthcare facility, were invited to participate in the research. People with health problems that prevented them from being interviewed were excluded from the study.

Data were produced by means of individual, semi-structured interviews that followed a pre-established script. The interviews were conducted in a reserved space of the Dental Hospital by one single interviewer. The interviews were recorded by an audio equipment and were fully transcribed by the researchers. The interview script was adapted from the instrument used in the Brazilian epidemiological studies SBBrasil 2003 and 2010 (BRASIL, 2011), to which we added data from the participants’ context (sex, age, level of schooling, work, how long he/she has been attending the service, and why he/she accessed the service). The script’s topics aimed to interconnect the interviewees’ perception of their mouth/teeth with aspects related to chewing, speaking, mouth hygiene, sleep, smile, social relations, feelings, and pain. The script served as an orientation to the progress of the interlocution and was constructed to allow flexibility in the conversations and the inclusion of new themes and issues brought by the interlocutor (MINAYO, 2009).

The completion of data collection was determined by the researchers’ evaluation of the density of the textual material produced in the interviews and by the theoretical saturation criterion - repetitions of ideas (FONTANELLA et al., 2011FONTANELLA, B. J. B. et al. Amostragem em pesquisas qualitativas: proposta de procedimentos para constatar saturação teórica. Cad. Saúde Pública, Rio de Janeiro, v. 27, n. 2, p. 389-394, fev. 2011.). Overall, 46 people were interviewed over five months, from May to September 2018. Each interview lasted approximately 40 minutes.

The context data were analyzed by means of frequency distribution (descriptive analysis). The textual material produced in the interviews was interpreted by thematic content analysis (BARDIN, 2011), following the stages of pre-analysis, exploration of the material and treatment of the collected data, and interpretation. Pre-analysis involved the free-floating reading of the interview transcriptions, in which the researchers had a thorough contact with the analyzed material. In the stage of exploration of the material, the crude data were coded in themes and then in categories to reach the core of the text’s meanings. In the last stage, the interpretations were performed according to the theoretical framework and to the proposed objective.

The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the university where the study was carried out (CAAE: 45757715.0.0000.5347 / Opinion 2.180.023).

Results

The participants of this study were 46 people who were undergoing treatment at the university-based Dental Teaching Hospital. The sample was mostly constituted by women (73%), aged 50 to 76 years (54.3%), who had completed High School (60.9%), worked (65.3%) and accessed the service one year ago (60.9%), to be assisted at the Dental Specialty Center of the studied university (28.3%), to undergo prosthesis and/or dental implant rehabilitation (17.4%) or to receive emergency care (13%) (table 1).

The analysis of the textual material produced by the interviews was structured in main themes and, afterwards, in categories (units of meaning). Three emerging categories express the form of organization and presentation of the results, having the body as the central unit of analysis: body in discomfort, embarrassed body and rehabilitated body.

Body in discomfort: negative oral health self-perception associated with inadequate prostheses, dental diseases, tooth loss and pain in the teeth and mouth

In this study, negative self-perception of the oral health condition was associated with dentures that “are annoying”, “bother”, affect the person’s appearance and smile (“ugly”), and hinder their ability to chew, causing food accumulation and injuring the gums.

In addition to reports on discomfort while chewing due to dentures, the participants mentioned limitations in speech (“spitting while talking”, “denture is falling out”), in taste (“the taste of the food”), and in the ingestion of hot liquids, like chimarrão (the beverage that is a cultural symbol of the place where the study was carried out), when the denture is maxillary (“it gets really hot”).

Oral diseases causing tooth mobility, speech limitations and interferences in the person’s appearance, in their everyday life and daily working routine, were also reported by the interviewees who perceived the presence of problems in the mouth/teeth.

The same negative perception was reported by people who had lost teeth (partially edentulous), a reason that made them look for dental treatment.

Another factor that affected oral health self-perception in the studied sample was the presence of pain caused by different reasons (consumption of cold foods and drinks, chewing, tooth mobility), which, in certain situations, affected the interviewees’ performance of daily activities.

Some people reported that the pain in the teeth and mouth affected their social interaction, either because of the “bad smell” associated with it or because it brought limitations to the chewing ability, generating feelings of “despair”, “nervousness”, “irritation”, making them cease to attend certain places or eat certain foods to avoid having problems when eating in public.

Embarrassed body: feelings associated with a negative oral health self-perception

This body that is uncomfortable due to the condition of the mouth/teeth expressed feelings of shame associated with embarrassment, oppression and irritation, which were associated with a negative oral health perception.

This negative perception compromised these people’s self-esteem, their relationships/social interaction, and brought limitations to the possibility of smiling.

It is important to highlight that, independently of the manifestation of discomfort that the body expresses, “living with an oral disease” was a condition that stood out in the interviewees’ speeches because it negatively affects their self-perception of oral health, mobilizing different feelings.

Rehabilitated body: positive oral health self-perception associated with the resolution of problems in the teeth and mouth

Positive oral health self-perception was present in the narratives of the research participants when the problems in the teeth and mouth were solved, especially those related to physical appearance that affected the person’s smile and social relations, bringing shame and embarrassment (“it made all the difference to me”, “now I distribute smiles”).

We found that the positive oral health perception associated with oral care started as soon as the treatment began, bringing wellbeing and improving people’s social relations.

The interviewees mentioned they were happy and satisfied with the dental treatment they received, recognizing the care provided by the professionals who assist them - “the provided care is spectacular” - and valuing the infrastructure and the materials existing in the service - “high-quality material and hospital”.

This possibility of rehabilitation through treatment brought gains that were reflected on the people’s lives, motivating them, changing their self-esteem and bringing safety to the performance of daily activities.

When the dental treatment ends, there is an expectation of satisfaction with oral health due to the improvement in the teeth’s esthetics and functionality, and also because of the possibility of having a healthy condition in the mouth, ending the embarrassment involved in talking to other people, which gives “motivation” and can “open new paths”.

Discussion

This study proposed to analyze, with a qualitative approach, the way in which people perceive themselves in relation to their oral health condition, showing the role played by the ‘mouth and teeth’ in their life. It investigates perception presenting it as the description of a concrete human experience from the specific point of view of a subject that acts on the world and suffers the action of the world, “like things appear to us” (MATTHEWS, 2011MATTHEWS, E. Compreender Merleau-Ponty. 2. ed. Petrópolis: Vozes, 2011., p. 15). It brings the perspective of the body as the axis of the relationship with the world, that is, the body as a semantic vector through which the evidence of this relationship is constructed, including actions, perceptions, feelings and rites of interaction (LE BRETON, 2009).

Our findings refer to a population of adults and elderly individuals marked by an ‘oral incapacity’ that generates discomfort and imposes limits to the body in the performance of daily activities like chewing, speaking, smiling, eating in front of other people, drinking chimarrão and even working, leading to a negative oral health self-perception.

Similarly, results of previous research have associated negative oral health self-perception with alterations in the masticatory system and use of poorly adapted prostheses that cause general health problems, as they damage the soft and hard tissues in the mouth, restricting the consumption of certain types of food and, many times, preventing the individual from eating together with other people, affecting social relations and the nutritional quality of the diet (CORRÊA et al., 2016CORRÊA, H. W. et al. Saúde bucal em usuários da atenção primária: análise qualitativa da autopercepção relacionada ao uso e necessidade de prótese dentária. Physis. Rio de Janeiro, v. 26, n. 2, p. 503-524, 2016.; RIGO et al., 2015RIGO, L. et al. Satisfação com a vida, experiência odontológica e autopercepção da saúde bucal entre idosos. Ciên. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 20, n. 12, p. 3681-3688, dez. 2015.; BRAGA; BARRETO; MARTINS, 2012BRAGA, A. P. G.; BARRETO, S. M.; MARTINS, A. M. E. B. L. Autopercepção da mastigação e fatores associados em adultos brasileiros. Cad. Saúde Pública. Rio de Janeiro, v. 28, n. 5, p. 889-904, maio 2012.; CASOTTI; MARTINS; FRANCISCO, 2012CASOTTI, C. A.; MARTINS, K.; FRANCISCO, S. Self-perception and oral health conditions of the elderly in a small town. Rev. Gaúcha Odontol. Porto Alegre, v. 60, n. 2, p. 187-193, 2012.; UNFER et al., 2006UNFER, B. et al. Autopercepção da perda de dentes em idosos. Interface Comun. Saúde Educ. Botucatu, v. 10, n. 19, p. 217-226, jan./jun. 2006.; GILBERT; FOERSTER; DUNCAN, 1998GILBERT, G. H.; FOERSTER, U.; DUNCAN, R. P. Satisfaction with chewing ability in a diverse sample of dentate adults. J. Oral Rehabil. Oxford, v. 25, p. 15-27, 1998.).

We can add to these findings the absence of teeth in the mouth associated with dissatisfaction with the oral health condition, which can be explained by the impairment of the smile and of esthetics, affecting, many times, the psychological dimension, and reducing these people’s self-esteem and social integration. Missing teeth also hinder speaking and chewing and cause discomfort due to the presence of pain (LIMA et al., 2018LIMA, C. V. et al. Falta de dentição funcional influencia na autopercepção da necessidade de tratamento em adultos: estudo de base populacional no Brasil. Cad. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 26, n. 1, p. 63-69, 2018.; NICO et al., 2016NICO, L. S. et al. Saúde bucal autorreferida da população adulta brasileira: resultados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde 2013. Ciên. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 21, n. 2, fev. 2016.; AGOSTINHO; CAMPOS; SILVEIRA, 2015AGOSTINHO, A. C. M. G.; CAMPOS, M. L.; SILVEIRA, J. L. G. C. Edentulismo, uso de prótese e autopercepção de saúde bucal entre idosos. Rev. Odontol. UNESP. Araraquara, v. 44, n. 2, p. 74-79, mar-abr. 2015.).

In this study, pain caused by different reasons expressed negative oral health self-perception. Reports of pain as a factor connected with negative oral health self-perception (BINARDINI et al., 2017; VALE; MENDE; MOREIRA, 2013VALE, E. B.; MENDES, A. C. G.; MOREIRA, R. S. Autopercepção da saúde bucal entre adultos na região Nordeste do Brasil. Rev. Saúde Pública. São Paulo, v. 47, supl. 3, p. 98-108, dez. 2013.) and with the presence of diseases (FONSECA; FONSECA; MENEGHIN, 2017FONSECA, E. P.; FONSECA, S G. O.; MENEGHIM, M. C. Fatores associados ao uso dos serviços odontológicos por idosos residentes no estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Rev. Bras. Geriatr. Gerontol. Rio de Janeiro, v. 20, n. 6, p. 785-796, dez. 2017.) can be found in the literature, being considered an important measure of the impact of oral health on quality of life (HAIKAL et al., 2017HAIKAL, D. S. et al. Validade da autopercepção da presença de cárie dentária como teste diagnóstico e fatores associados entre adultos. Cad. Saúde Pública. Rio de Janeiro, v. 33, n. 8, p. e00053716, ago. 2017.). Among elderly people, however, pain can be accepted as a natural event of advanced age, not interfering in the self-perception of their oral health condition (HAIKAL et al., 2011).

These limitations imposed on the body by questions associated with the mouth generated, in the people studied here, negative feelings - suffering, expressed by “despair”, “nervousness”, “irritation”, “shame” and “embarrassment”. People dissatisfied with their oral health feel more ashamed due to the presence of problems in the teeth, mouth and gums. Oral problems can reduce the individual’s satisfaction with life, preventing him or her from relaxing. With this, negative feelings like stress and irritation are identified (RIGO et al., 2015RIGO, L. et al. Satisfação com a vida, experiência odontológica e autopercepção da saúde bucal entre idosos. Ciên. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 20, n. 12, p. 3681-3688, dez. 2015.).

It is important to consider, in this analysis, that the suffering reported by the interviewees is not restricted to the physical discomfort of a body; rather, it extends to situations and sensations that add to each other, bringing restrictions to these people’s lives. This is a body that becomes unfamiliar as losses in its control become evident, making the subject become a user in need of care. Thus, the demand for the health service emerges, as the person needs a ‘corporal relearning’ in order to continue interacting in the world (CANESQUI, 2007CANESQUI, A. M. (Org.). Olhares socioantropológicos sobre os adoecidos crônicos. São Paulo: Hucitec, Fapesq, 2007.; CAMARGO JÚNIOR, 2003; CORBIN, 2003CORBIN, J. The body in health and illness. Qualitative Health Research. Newbury Park, v. 3, n. 2, p. 256-297, 2003.). In this perspective, the human mouth assumes the meaning of a social interaction device of the being with the world (BITENCOURT; CORRÊA; TOASSI, 2019BITENCOURT, F. V.; CORRÊA, H. W.; TOASSI, R. F. C. Experiências de perda dentária em usuários adultos e idosos da Atenção Primária à Saúde. Ciênc. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 24, n. 1, p. 169-180, 2019.), and becomes responsible for performing social works (BOTAZZO, 2006BOTAZZO, C. Sobre a bucalidade: notas para a pesquisa e contribuição ao debate. Ciên. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 11, n. 1, p. 7-17, 2006.).

The uncomfortable presence of ‘bad breath’ in the interviewees turned into a barrier to social relations. In a form of corporal relearning, the interviewees reported using substances like mouthwashes and sweets when they have an intimate encounter or in their social relations to disguise the bad smell that comes from the mouth (SILVA et al., 2006SILVA, C. J. P. et al. Percepção de saúde dos usuários do sistema único de saúde do município de Coimbra/Minas Gerais. R. Fac. Odontol. Porto Alegre. Porto Alegre, v. 47, n. 3, p. 23-28, dez. 2006.).

Another aspect observed in the need of body readaptation concerns receiving a dental treatment that meets the needs of the people who look for it. Starting a treatment or undergoing it at a place where the quality of the received care is recognized, both in relation to the professionals and to the physical and material structure, was associated, in this study, with a positive oral health self-perception. Knowing that their health needs will be met in a service they like and trust improved their self-esteem and brought safety to the performance of daily activities, not to mention satisfaction, mainly when the treatment solves problems related to the person’s appearance.

Users’ evaluation of the health services generates essential information for the definition of the quality standards of the provided care and has been much valued, representing an expected result of the assistance. User satisfaction constitutes a fundamental component of health services evaluation, and it is even considered the final objective of such services (SANTOS, 1995SANTOS, M. P. Avaliação da qualidade dos serviços públicos de atenção à saúde da criança sob a ótica do usuário. Rev. Bras. Enferm. Brasília, v. 48, n. 2, p. 109-119, 1995.; DONABEDIAN, 1988DONABEDIAN, A. The quality of care: how can it be assessed? JAMA. Chicago, v. 260, n. 12, p. 1743-1748, 1988.).

It is important to highlight the findings of this research that reinforce the value of ‘body-mouth-teeth’ in the individual’s wellbeing. Dental treatments that improved people’s appearance, motivating them, changing their self-esteem and returning to them the desire to smile and talk, were associated with positive oral health self-perception. People with high self-esteem have a positive self-perception of life. Low self-esteem, on the other hand, is associated with body dissatisfaction, which causes insecurity, dissatisfaction with oneself and reduces the person’s self-confidence (NUMANOVIC et al., 2018NUMANOVIĆ, A. et al. Psychological and sociodemographic characteristics and development of physical exercise dependence. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte. São Paulo, v. 24, n. 1, p. 50-53, jan. 2018.). Esthetics is an important factor for the individual’s physical and psychosocial wellbeing. Dental treatments that change the appearance are easily accepted due to the impact that appearance has on self-esteem (PERES et al., 2011PERES, S. H. C. S. et al. Self-perception and malocclusion and their relation to oral appearance and function. Ciên. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 16, n. 10, p. 4059-4066, out. 2011.). Dental diseases and teeth in poor health conditions, cracked or darkened are associated with negative oral health self-perception and damage the individual’s self-esteem (VILELA et al., 2013VILELA, E. A. et al. Association between self-rated oral appearance and the need for dental prostheses among elderly Brazilians. Braz. Oral. Res. São Paulo, v. 27, n. 3, p. 203-210, 2013.).

There is a strong relationship between positive oral health self-perception and satisfaction with appearance. This relationship can be explained by the fact that physical appearance is easily noted in moments of social interaction, which can create the idea that ‘what is beautiful is good’, showing that a pleasant appearance is a desirable social characteristic that interferes in the individuals’ self-esteem (BIDINOTTO et al., 2017BIDINOTTO, A. B. et al. Autopercepção de saúde bucal em comunidades quilombolas no Rio Grande do Sul: um estudo transversal exploratório. Rev. Bras. Epidemiologia. São Paulo, v. 20, n. 1, p. 91-101, jan./mar. 2017.). Corroborating these findings, the present study showed reports of negative oral health self-perception related to esthetic problems, missing teeth and dissatisfaction with one’s appearance.

As this analysis comes to an end, it is important to call the reader’s attention to two structuring aspects of this research. The first deals with the characteristic of the studied sample. They are people who searched for, gained access to and are undergoing dental treatment, that is, they had the expectation that this treatment would lead to improvements in their oral health and life conditions and would act as a measure of protection of the ‘ill’ body. This guarantee of oral healthcare may have positively affected the interviewees’ oral health self-perception, even when the treatment was just in its early stages. The second refers to the concept of clinic. By presenting the perceptions and feelings of people about their health, considering their life experiences, we argue that the clinic must listen to the living body that interacts with other bodies and even produces diseases. Thus, we propose that the dimension of oral care should return to the dental clinic (SOUZA, 2006SOUZA, E. C. F. Bucalidade: conceito-ferramenta de religação entre clínica e saúde bucal coletiva. Ciên. Saúde Colet. Rio de Janeiro, v. 11, n. 1, p. 18-43, 2006.).

Studies to monitor oral health self-perception after the completion of treatments are recommended, as well as research including the analysis of self-perception as a care tool in different populations and health services, mainly users assisted by the services network of SUS.

Final remarks

Expressions of a body in discomfort, marked by limitations in physiological functions (chewing, speaking and taste) and in sociocultural functions (social interaction, work, appearance, smiling, habits) of daily life were present in the narratives of the participants who had a negative self-perception of their oral health. These reports were associated with the non-use of prostheses or with the use of inadequate ones, and with dental diseases, bad breath and pain, which mobilized different feelings (despair, nervousness, irritation, shame, embarrassment and oppression).

The opportunity of recovering this body through care, through ‘receiving dental treatment’, ‘having the problems in the teeth and mouth solved’, enabled a ‘corporal relearning’ so that this body could continue to interact in the world. Thus, gains were reflected on the people’s lives, motivating them, changing their self-esteem and bringing safety to the performance of daily activities, as well as wellbeing and improvement in social relations.

Self-perception studies with a qualitative approach must be stimulated in the health services, as they are a powerful complementary tool of humanized and effective care, allowing that the ‘subject who needs care’ has more autonomy and participation in the decisions about their treatment.¹1 S. M. Salvador: research design, construction of the theoretical framework, production and analysis of data, writing of the article. R. F. C. Toassi: research design and coordination, construction of the theoretical framework, production and analysis of data, writing and final review of the article.

References

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