INFLUÊNCIA DE FATORES SOCIOECONÔMICOS NA PRÁTICA DE HIGIENE BUCAL DE BEBÊS NA FASE EDÊNTULA: UM ESTUDO TRANSVERSAL

Abstract

Introduction: studies suggest that the beginning of the baby’s oral hygiene should
be concomitant with the eruption of the first deciduous tooth (FDT). However,
outdated content on the subject is still found. Objective: to associate the beginning
of baby oral hygiene during the edentulous phase with the mothers’ income and
educational levels. The origin of guidance on oral hygiene was also investigated.
Materials and Methods: mothers (n=289) of 3-month-old babies were interviewed
during anamnesis by trained examiners. Sociodemographic, family income,
education (mother’s years of study), oral hygiene data before the onset of FDT, who
provided guidance and how they performed the babies’ oral hygiene were collected.
Descriptive and inferential analyzes (X2 test) were conducted. Results: it was found
that 149 (51.6%) babies were girls and 146 (50.5%) were brown. Most mothers have
up to 12 years of education (n=214; 74%), with an income between 1 and 5 minimum
wages (n=244; 89.1%). The average age of the mother at birth was 29.3±6.8 years
and oral hygiene before the emergence of FDT was performed in the majority of
babies (n=135; 59.7%), done with diapers/gauze /cloth in 131 of them. Of the 135
mothers who performed oral hygiene, 77 (57.03%) received guidance from lay
people and the majority had a lower level of education (p=0.001). Family income did
not influence the hygiene practice adopted (p=0.799). Conclusion: mothers with a
lower level of education started oral hygiene for their babies before the onset of
PDD, whose guidance was given by lay people, and that the income did not influence
this practice.