Oral health self-perception: physical, social and cultural expressions of a body in interaction with the world

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.