Os sentidos da boca: um estudo de representações sociais com usuários dos serviços de saúde

Abstract

The concept of social representation was used in the present investigation, to figure out the different meanings attributed to the mouth among users of oral health care services in the district of Cidade da Esperança, Natal, RN, Brazil. We aimed at capture how in the communication and conducts of subjects, these meaning articulate to the common sense knowledge. To do this, we considered sociological variables as well as the question “How do you fell your mouth?”. Data were analyzed by the analyses of content techniques. The talkings were captured through three tematics: oral health, tooth pain and the rescue of the mouth “identity” by the individuals. Subjects conceive their oral health in a biological point of view and mainly through psychosocial aspects. The experience of tooth pain fosters different ways to confront the problem. The rescue of mouth identity is possible through the use of prosthetic devices which work as social re-insertion tool.