This study aimed to understand how information on oral health is carried in the printed media in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. This was a qualitative study using content analysis on 66 articles relating to the subject that were carried in the newspapers A Gazeta and A Tribuna between March 2004 and June 2009. The empirical material originated seven analytical categories: accountability of the individual, extreme realities, popular image of dentists and their offices, pathologization of halitosis, aesthetic valuation, determinants of oral health and prevention and habits. The media's approach towards oral health cuts across a complex of social, cultural, political, biological and economic factors. This highlights the importance of communication in context with the interests of society. Thus, the communication may be interactive, with dialogue, and its critical power in education and health promotion may be explored, thereby consciously relaying consumerism in Oral Health.
Oral Health; Healthcare communication; Mass media; Public Health
