Introduction:

self-medication in oral health is a practice censured by biomedicine; however, it is a frequent activity that synthesizes the interaction of people with different models of health care, where the structural and symbolic fabric of the health field materializes. The objective was to understand the knowledge and practices on oral health self-medication in Bogota.

Methods:

qualitative research with ethnographic approach. Tools such as participant observation, ethnographic interview and field diary were used. Seven families from Bogota were chosen from an ideal typological sample.

Results:

there are barriers to access to dental care that are increased through segregation mechanisms that are related to the urban structure of the city, barriers that motivate the use of various medications in the face of ailments. The mouth has diverse meanings. Caries and its effects are recognized, and in its prevention silks, pastes, rinses and brushes are used, elements that come from the pharmaceutical industry. The most common ailment is odontalgia, and analgesics of pharmaceutical origin are mainly used to treat it.

Conclusions:

self-medication in oral health is a conscious process carried out by the subjects from their own reasoning and resources, to prevent and treat their ailments. This practice is related to social representations about the mouth, to access to dental care services, and to the availability and obtaining of therapeutic supplies.

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