The Specialized Dental Care Centers (SDCC) have the mission to expand access to public medium complexity dental care and support the primary health care actions at this level of complexity. However, it is necessary to ensure the quality of services and to evaluate such services continuously to identify weaknesses and strengths that support the processes of leadership/management. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of studies on the assessment of oral health in specialized care that may indicate which factors should be investigated. Therefore, this integrated literature review sought to explore the plethora of publications on the evaluation of SDCC in the LILACS and MEDLINE data bases in October 2013 to identify factors possibly related to the performance of such health services. Thus, 13 references were included in this review pointing to forms of organization and management of work processes related to the creation of healthcare networks (operation of regulation centers and setting up of health consortiums). They include the contextual characteristics of the places where SDCCs are located (population size, Family Health Strategy coverage, Municipal Human Development Index, governance, governing capacity) were factors that influenced the SDCCs performance.

Despite the improvement of the lives of Brazilians, still persists a panorama of iniquities in health in

Qualidade técnica e satisfação relacionadas às próteses totaisTechnical quality and satisfaction related to full conventional dentures

RESUMOTrata-se de um estudo descritivo e analítico com abordagem quantitativa cujo objetivo foi investigar a formação profissional dos cuidadores atuantes em Instituições de Longa Permanência para Idosos (ILPIs) em Natal/RN no ano de 2014. Para tanto, aplicou-se um questionário semiestruturado a 63 cuidadores de nove ILPIs, representando 75% do total de profissionais exercendo atividades nessas instituições. O questionário viabilizou a captação de dados relativos ao perfil socioeconômico e à formação profissional do cuidador. Os dados foram analisados mediante observação das frequências absolutas e relativas e medidas de tendência central das variáveis numéricas. Assim, identificou-se que a maioria dos cuidadores possuía baixa condição socioeconômica e não apresentava curso específico para exercer a função de cuidador. Contudo, entre aqueles que realizaram cursos, grande parte relata que os conteúdos abordados durante a formação deram segurança para a práxis do cuidado, embora refiram à necessidade de se capacitar. No geral, os resultados apontam que há, possivelmente, uma inadequada capacitação formal para o exercício da ocupação, em meio ao relato de cursos de 01 semana (n=20 entrevistados) cujas atividades práticas consistem em aulas demonstrativas. Isto revela fragilidades na formação que estariam relacionadas à ausência de um currículo básico para orientar a formação e a baixa escolaridade requisitada ao exercício dos profissionais. PALAVRAS-CHAVE:Envelhecimento, profissional da saúde, cuidador, idoso, Instituição de Longa Permanência par a Idosos. VOCATIONAL TRAINING OF CAREGIVER WHO WORKS INHOMES FOR THE AGED ABSTRACTThis is a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study with a quantitative approach which aimed to investigate the vocational training of caregivers who works in Homes for the Aged (HFA) in Natal / RN in the year of 2014. Therefore, semi-structured questionary was applied to 63 caregivers in 09 HFA, representing 75% of caregivers who works in these institutions. The questionary captured data related to the socioeconomic profile and to the vocational training about caring profession. These data were analyzed by observing absolute e relative frequencies and measures of central tendency of the numeric variables. In general, it was found that most of caregivers was from low socioeconomic status and started to practice the occupation without conducting a previous specific course. However, among those who attended a course, most report that the contents saw in the curriculum provided security for the praxis of care, but these people also reported the need for training. In general, the results, probably, show that there is an inadequate formal training to practice the caregiver's occupation, amid reports of short 01 week courses (n=20 interviewed) which practical activities consist of demonstration lessons. This reveals weaknesses in professional qualification that would related to the absence of a guiding core curriculum and the low education required for professional practice.

The effectiveness of health services can be evaluated from the quality of life (QOL) standpoint. Thus, this study evaluated rehabilitation services using full conventional dentures (FCD) of Specialized Dental Care Centers (SDCC) in Rio Grande do Norte (RN) regarding daily difficulties associated with these dentures made between 2007 and 2009. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 138 users of these FCD, collecting data by clinical examination and a questionnaire based on the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances index. The Fisher and chi-square tests were used to test the association between the variables. The result was that 42% of users reported difficulties in executing oral activities due to FCDs. These difficulties were more frequent and intense in the activities of eating, speaking and smiling. In general, 58.7% of users did not have functional teeth. In relation to the clinical evaluation of FCDs, 57.2% of upper and 9.2% of lower FCDs were satisfactory. There was an association between difficulty and the absence of functional teeth, but not with inadequate FCDs. Thus, the SDCCs were effective in upper FCD rehabilitation, since the difficulties encountered are within the standard limitations of this type of rehabilitation. On the other hand, the cost-benefit of rehabilitation of lower FCDs must be evaluated.