The aim of this study was to comprehend the experiences of family members regarding the oral health care of children. This was a qualitative study, conducted in 2007, in the health district of Ribeirão Preto, with 12 caregivers. The theoretical framework of vulnerability and the hermeneutical perspective were used. Three empirical categories were established: the meanings of oral health care, in search of the causes and prevention of oral diseases, and the reality of oral health services. Among other potentiating factors of infantile vulnerability to oral diseases, the overvaluation of biological causality, of high complexity care and of esthetic dentistry emerged, and among the protective factors, the valorization of popular knowledge and the integration of professional actions and knowledge were observed. This study indicates the necessity for a review of prevention and oral health promotion strategies and provides elements to assist health services to reorganize oral health care for children.
Oral Health; Vulnerability; Child