Performance of the dentist in the monitoring of growth and development in the family health strategy

Abstract

Introduction: The monitoring of the Growth and Development (GD) is part of the scope of actions developed in primary health care and has the purpose of the integral health of the child. Dental care, initiated in the first months of life, positively impacts on oral and general health. Objective: The study aimed to understand the performance of dentists in the monitoring of child growth and development, in the context of the Family health strategy, in a medium-sized city. Methodology: This is a qualitative study of the comprehensible-interpretative type, whose participants were the dentists working in the aforementioned city. The instruments of collection were: semi-structured questionnaire, focal group and field diary. The data, supported by the software ALCESTE, were subjected to thematic content analysis. Results: Two categories emerged: conceptions about the GD; and actions developed on the GD. Oral health appears as a potentiality in child health care and assistance, strengthening the care process. Conclusions: It was verified the predominance of perceptions anchored in fundamentals that reduce the subjective, cultural and social dimensions of the subjects, demonstrating distance of an effective interprofessional practice.
Keywords: Oral Health. Growth and Development. Family Health Strategy.