casos de vida

1079

Knowledge of oral health and practices among mothers attending a mother-child dental care program

Lúcia de Fátima Almeida de Deus Moura 1
Marcoeli Silva de Moura 1
Orlando Ayrton de Toledo 2

Abstract This study assesses the assimilation of knowledge and preventive practices in oral health among the mothers of children assisted by a mother-child dental care program. The Preventive Program for Pregnant Mothers and Babies (PPPMB) is an extension project run by the Piauí Federal
University (UFPI), whose goal is to make pregnant women and mothers of children from zero to
36 months old more concerned about habits fostering oral health. After a random selection of clinical record cards for children who had participated in this Program, letters were sent to their mothers. Feedback was received from 281 mothers, who responded through interviews that included questions on matters addressed by the Program. The findings indicate that mothers attending this Program were properly informed, adopting hygienic practices in their families that underpin the control and prevention of oral diseases.
Key words Oral health, Health promotion, Child care 1

Departamento de Patologia e Clínica Odontológica,
Universidade Federal do
Piauí, UFPI.
Campus Universitário
Petrônio Portella, Ininga.
64049-550 Teresina PI. [e-mail] 2
Universidade de Brasília.

Resumo O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a assimilação e as práticas preventivas em saúde bucal adotadas por mães de crianças que freqüentaram um programa odontológico de atenção materno infantil. O Programa Preventivo para Gestantes e Bebês (PPGB) é um programa de extensão vinculado à Universidade Federal do
Piauí (UFPI), que tem como meta a conscientização de gestantes e mães de crianças de zero a 36 meses para a adoção de hábitos favoráveis à obtenção de saúde bucal. Realizou-se uma seleção aleatória de fichas clínicas de crianças que haviam participado do PPGB e, através