Avaliação do conhecimento e uso de plantas medicinais e fitoterápicos por dentistas do seridó potiguar.

Abstract

Medicinal plants are used by the population for the treatment and prevention of various diseases since very ancient times. In Brazil, it is noticed that in recent years, research related to these plants have been growing progressively, mainly due to the vast and generous plant variety that the country presents. In dentistry the use of medicinal plants is still very recent. In this sense, the present study aims to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice of dental surgeons, who attend the fourth health region in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, on phytotherapy in clinical practice. The research was carried out from an exploratory and descriptive study. The data collection was done in partnership with the Regional Council of Dentistry (CRO - RN) from a questionnaire structured data collection instrument, with open and closed questions, made available through a questionnaire on the Google Forms platform and sent through the professional email address of the dentists enrolled in the CRO-RN who work in the region, being available for 40 days, from the date of sending, for purposes of response by the dentist. The data were analyzed from the bivariate analysis and the chi-square test. Only 17.7% of the dentists interviewed use or indicate herbal or phytotherapeutic plants; the most indicated species is chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), to relieve the symptoms of dental eruption in infants, treatment of inflammation, and aid in the healing process. the herbal remedy is Valeriane (Valeriana officinalis L). 91.1% of the interviewees never attended any course on the subject in question, 68.8% are not aware of Resolution No. 082/2008 CFO. It is concluded that the dentists in question make little indication or prescription of medicinal and phytotherapeutic plants during their visits and clinical routine and it is possible that this is due to the lack of knowledge about the subject in question.