Perfil da saúde bucal de idosos quilombolas de duas comunidades rurais de Vitória da Conquista – Bahia

Abstract

The aging of the population is a subject that has stood out from the changes observed in the contemporary world, which bring new habits, beliefs and terms that characterize this important period of life. There is a little understanding about the relationship of the elderly quilombola population with the use of oral health services, their access conditions and the oral problems faced by these communities. The aim of this study was to study oral health conditions, relating them to tooh loss in this population as well as to identify the prevalence of tooh decay abd the use and need for dental prostheses presented by the quilombola elderly population living in the communities of Barrocas and São Joaquim de Paulo, in Vitória da Conquista- BA, describing the socioemographic and economic aspects, general health conditions, lifestyle habits, oral hygiene habits, reported oral morbidity and access to and use of oral health services of the study population, in addition to self perception of oral health and its impact on the daily lives of these elderly people. A cross-sectional, descriptive, population-based study was carried out, which evaluated the oral health situation of 140 elderly people aged 60 years or older, living in two quilombola locations served by the Family Health Unity of Capinal, through interviews and clinical examination. The results found were from a population composed mostly of women, aged between 60 and 70 years, black and brown skin, low-income, low level of education, with an average, 26,84 teeth affected by caries, high prevalence of tooth loss, low demand and/or access to dental care, self-assessed good and/or very good oral health, and low negative impact on daily activities. The risk factors associated with the loss of 13 or more dental units were statistically significant with the variables: age group, habit of drinking alcohol, lack of daily brushing, lack of the use of toothpaste, lack of dental care in the last year, and, difficulty practicing sports and sleeping as negative impacts of daily living conditions. Considering the relevance of the theme, the results point to the need for greater attention to the oral health of elderly quilombola people, in order to seek strategies to guide the planning of promotion, assistance and rehabilitation actions, helping to improve the health condition of the community. investigated population.