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Odontologia Clínico-Científica (Online)

  ISSN 1677-3888

ROVIDA, Tânia Adas Saliba; PERUCHINI, Luís Fernando Dahmer; MOIMAZ, Suzely Adas Saliba    GARBIN, Cléa Adas Saliba. The meaning of general and oral health on the elderly caregiver's view. Odontol. Clín.-Cient. (Online) []. 2013, 12, 1, pp. 43-46. ISSN 1677-3888.

The aim of this study was to analyze the perception of elderly caregivers in relation to the meaning of general and oral health and about oral health status of the institutionalized aged. It was performed a qualitative study, using Discourse of Collective Subject method. It were interviewed 42 caregivers who worked in longterm care facilities of Araçatuba City, SP and Passo Fundo City, RS - Brazil, applying a structured questionnaire. The interviews were recorded and transcript to be performed the qualitative analysis. The answers were analyzed and them it was elaborated the discourses of collective subject (DCS). Oral health, according to caregivers, was hygiene habits and good diet, while the absence of oral health was sequelae of oral diseases. It's possible to note that older means of health were being substituted by new perceptions of quality of life and is very divergent between older professionals and those who graduated during last two decades. However, according to caregivers, this health perception as quality of life was not included in Dentistry, where the old mean "absence of symptoms" was prevalent. For part of them, the institutionalized elderly have no oral health and the only way to improve their condition was through clinical attendance.

: Aged; Oral health; Caregivers; Health Manpower.

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