The aim of this study was to understand the influence of school in the life and care of the health of children with cleft lips and palates, treated at a reference center in southern Brazil. This qualitative descriptive-exploratory study was performed using semi-structured interviews, conducted with 15 mothers of children and teenagers with cleft lips and palates of an oral health surveillance program. The data analysis was based on the thematic analysis, which highlights two central themes: facing and overcoming the stigma associated with the physical appearance, and the school as an influence on the oral health of children and teenagers and their development. The school provides children and teenagers with cleft lips and palates with opportunities of social integration, but it also contributes to conflicts generated by the prejudice against their physical appearance. The support of the school community is essential for proper development of quality of life.
Cleft lip; Cleft palate; Oral health; School health