Open-access Oral Health Promotion at the workplace in rural areas: echoes from dental surgeons

ABSTRACT

This study included the work of dental surgeons of the Family Health Strategy, from the perspective of Oral Health Promotion (OHP) in rural territory. This is a cross-sectional and qualitative investigation. Data collection was performed through semi-structured interviews carried out with fourteen professionals who worked in rural oral health teams from the state of Paraíba. To understand and systematize the data, thematic content analysis was adopted. The theoretical framework that guided the method considered pillars, values and principles of Health Promotion (HP). Narratives reveal imprecise OHP concepts, restricting them to oral disease prevention activities. There are potentialities and weaknesses in the OHP actions in rural areas. There are inequalities regarding support units and there are rural populations without any assistance to specialized oral health services. Professionals’ involvement was observed in the campaign practices and in the goals with pregnant women. There are difficulties in group formation, and intersectoral actions are practically limited to the partnership between health/education. The realities are discrepant in the face of management support. The speeches pointed to OHP actions capable of producing self-esteem and improving quality of life, based on integrality and the values of solidarity and humanization.

KEYWORDS Primary Health Care; Health promotion; Rural health

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