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Brazilian Journal of Oral Sciences
Piracicaba Dental School - UNICAMP
EISSN:
Vol. 11, No. 4, 2012, pp. 445-450
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Bioline Code: os12049
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge
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Brazilian Journal of Oral Sciences, Vol. 11, No. 4, 2012, pp. 445-450
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Factors associated with the use of herbal medicines for oral problems by patients attending the clinics of the School of Dentistry, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil
de Paula, Janice Simpson; de Resende, Alexandre Marques & Mialhe, Fábio Luiz
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate differences in sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, educational level
and income) between users and nonusers of phytotherapy for dental purposes; the degree of
population's knowledge of herbal medicines for dental needs; and whether patients inform the
health professional about their use of phytotherapy.
Methods: A questionnaire was applied to
100 patients in waiting rooms of the School of Dentistry of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora,
in 2008, to inquire about sociodemographic variables and other factors associated with the use of
phytotherapy. Statistical analyses were carried out using the chi square statistical test to calculate
association between the variables, with 0.05 as level of significance.
Results: It was observed
that 64.8% of participants were women with a mean age of 43.9±15.1 years. Phytotheraphy use
for treatment of oral problems was reported by 37% of patients interviewed in this study. Significant
differences were found between users and non-users of herbal medicines for oral problems,
associated with the patient's age (p<0.05) and previous experience with use of phytotherapy to
treat general health problems (p<0.001).
Conclusions: The results emphasize the need for
more scientific evidence of the efficacy of herbal medicinal products already incorporated in the
popular knowledge to treat oral problems in order to make it an accessible and alternative method
for prevention and therapy in dentistry.
Keywords
medicinal plants, dentistry, public health
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