Oral health diagnosis in quilombo communities in the North of Minas Gerais

Abstract The Quilombo was a place where former slaves could turn entirely to their culture from which they would preserve their own identity; lifestyle and their religious beliefs. Objective: The study aimed to make a diagnosis of the oral health situation in two quilombola communities in the city of Montes Claros - MG. Methods: Refers to a cross-sectional, population-based, descriptive study conducted in quilombola communities in the north of Minas. The study was conducted in 2 communities, one in the urban area (walnut trees) and the other in the rural area (Monte Alto). Sociodemographic data were collected and health conditions were evaluated through self-perception, defined in this study as a dependent variable. Results: We identified 100 inhabitants (Nogueiras), and 30 inhabitants (Monte Alto) being distributed among children/adolescents, adults, and the elderly; on vulnerabilities, sewage treatment is absent in the quilombola community Monte alto, which is opposed to the reality of the quilombo do Nogueira's community. In addition, in the Monte Alto community, there was low schooling and little access to health services. In short, in the Monte Alto community, there were high rates of people with edentulism, tartar, and carious lesions, and carious lesions prevailed in the Nogueiras quilombo. They conclude: Thus, the high rates in the Monte Alto quilombo are probably due to poor basic sanitation conditions and the lack of access to services quality health. In the quilombo of Nogueiras, possibly these high rates of carious lesions and periodontal diseases are probably due to the intake of excessive cariogenic foods, as well as the prevalence of smokers. Because of the predominant culture in this community.