Perception of bonds in the professional practice of dentists in the public health service of Santa Maria - RS

Resumo

This study aimed to analyze dentists’ perceptions of bonds between professionals and users of the dental care service in the public health system of the city of Santa Maria, in Rio Grande do Sul. This is a descriptive exploratory research, within a qualitative approach. The participants of the research were dentists, working in Family Health Team in the city of Santa Maria. Interviews were conducted and the intentional sample was defined by saturation. The data were analyzed following Bardin’s proposal, and four categories emerged during the analysis: family health strategy: potential for building the bond between dentist and user; time as a potentiator of the bond between dentist and user; clinical procedure, anamnesis, and odontogram, allied to the construction of the bond; and difficulties and management strategies for the bond with children. Dentists’ relationships cannot be limited to only technical situations; a process of humanization in management is needed. However, this process is still in development and demands time, since it will be necessary to modify the professional profile and to seek knowledge on the subject, applying it to the clinical routine. With this study, it was possible to observe that it is not evident the bond in the relationships between dentists and the users of the health service.