Abstract

MENDES, Makelen; SILVEIRA, Michele Martins; COSTA, Francine dos Santos  and  SCHARDOSIM, Lisandrea Rocha. Evaluation of perception and experience of dentists in the municipal network of Pelotas/RS in attendance of cleft lip and palate patients. RFO UPF [online]. 2012, vol.17, n.2, pp. 196-200. ISSN 1413-4012.

Objective: to investigate the perception and the experience of dentists from the public service of Pelotas/ RS regarding the care for cleft lip and palate patients. Methods: forty three professionals from Basic Health Units, from Pelotas - RS, answered a questionnaire about professional practice, experience in the treatment of patients with cleft lip and palate and specific knowledge about the malformation. Results: it was observed that 37.2% of professionals treated cleft lip and palate patients and 67.4% would perform the proper dental treatment required; although 32.6% of the surveyed would recommend specialized professionals due to lack of knowledge on the subject; the majority of professional answered correctly the questions about specific knowledge, but 74.4% did not know the food habits in first age of life. About the existence of Centers of Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation for cleft lip and palate patients to know a center in Brazil and in Rio Grande do Sul, respectively 60.5% and 11.6% related to know this kind of centers. Conclusion: an important part of the professionals involved in this study (87,5%) had experience in treating patients with special needs, among them patients with cleft lip and palate. The congenital malformation was not an impediment to the realization of basic clinical procedures, but it was found lack of information on the subject. It is suggested that departments make available training to dentists from public services, considering that guidance to parents about oral hygiene in the region of the cleft, nutritional counseling and information about the rehabilitation process are important in primary health.

Keywords : Cleft lip.; Cleft palate.; Perception..