Abstract

VARGAS, Andréa Maria Duarte  and  PAIXAO, Helena Heloísa. The loss of teeth and its meaning in the quality of life of adults who use the municipal oral health services of the Boa Vista Health Center, in Belo Horizonte . Ciênc. saúde coletiva [online]. 2005, vol.10, n.4, pp. 1015-1024. ISSN 1413-8123.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-81232005000400024.

The aim of this study was to find out the problems caused by the loss of teeth and by the lack of access to prosthetic treatment on daily life of adults who use the Municipal Health Services of the city of Belo Horizonte. The methodology used in this study was the qualitative research, acquired through open, semi-structured interviews with 20 patients that went on a regular basis to the Boa Vista Health Center, a unit which belongs to the East County. The results showed that the problems mentioned by the patients were both functional and psychosocial, and the feelings related to the loss of teeth were extremely negative. The patients pointed out the weaknesses of the adult oral health services, revealing its little effectiveness because only the basic treatment is offered, leading to the extraction of teeth which could have been repaired and also to the unavailability of prosthetic treatment for functional and appearance rehabilitation. It can be inferred that the Municipal Oral Health Program developed in Boa Vista Health Center was insufficient to solve most of the dental problems that the adults have.

Keywords : Teeth loss; Public policy; Quality of life.