Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Social medicalization and bucality: the search for overcoming the technique

Abstract

Background

The process of social medicalization has transformed medical experiences, sufferings and pain. This permeates more and more aspects of daily life, creating dependence on professional knowledge and practice.

Objective

The present essay aims to investigate and discuss the field of dentistry in the light of social medicalization, with emphasis on professional practices, contextualized in the Brazilian reality.

Method

The discussion covers the practice in both the private and public sectors, relating it to studies already carried out on Biomedicine and Dentistry. To this end, we performed an analysis of the referenced literature to better understand the social medicalization process from the ideas of Ivan Illich and Charles Tesser; and to dialogue specifically with the Oral Health, from the accumulations of the bucality theory, with Carlos Botazzo as exponent in this elaboration.

Results

The debate expands the view of professionals and researchers in the field of dentistry, whether in the clinical, political or sociological dimension, with a view to improving the quality of care and avoiding the reproduction of the biomedical and hegemonic curativist model.

Conclusion

Dentistry should act in order to foster an enlarged and holistic approach of health problems, in addition to providing care with a less medicalizing character.

Keywords:
medicalization; oral health; dentistry

Instituto de Estudos em Saúde Coletiva da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Avenida Horácio Macedo, S/N, CEP: 21941-598, Tel.: (55 21) 3938 9494 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil
E-mail: cadernos@iesc.ufrj.br