Oral health in Brazil: What were the dental procedures performed in Primary Health Care?

Abstract

This cross-sectional study aims to describe the primary dental care procedures performed by Oral Health Teams (OHTs), adhering to the third cycle of the "National Program for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care" (PMAQ-AB) in Brazil. A descriptive analysis was performed through 26 dental procedures, including spontaneous, preventive, restorative/prosthetic and surgical procedures, and actions of cancer monitoring. Each conducted procedure assigned a score to the OHT, the final score being the sum of the number of procedures performed by the OHTs. These scores were then compared among the geographic regions of the country. Most OHTs perform basic dental procedures, such as supragingival scaling, root planning and coronal polishing (98.1%), composite filling (99.0%), and permanent tooth extraction (98.6%). The frequency related to dental prosthesis and monitoring of oral cancer decreased. Only 12.9% of the OHTs carries out biopsies, 30.9% monitor patients undergoing biopsy, 15.1% carry out impression for prostheses, and 13.6% carry out prostheses’ installation. The scores reveal that OHT’s performed, on average, 19.45 (±3.16) dental procedures. The OHTs in the South, Southeast, and Northeast had a higher number of primary dental procedures, while the teams in the North and Midwest performed, on average, fewer procedures. The Brazilian regions with the highest dental need have the lowest number of dental procedures. It is necessary to increase the range of procedures offered by OHT and reduce regional inequalities, adapting to the needs of the population in order to achieve comprehensive oral health.

Can predictive factors determine the time to treatment initiation for oral and oropharyngeal cancer? A classification and regression tree analysis

“…Although this study’s primary care coverage rate is satisfactory, oral health teams hardly conduct OOC-related actions in the country [ 52 , 53 ]. This is because dentists feel unable to identify a potentially malignant lesion and perform biopsies [ 54 ], mainly because these are rare lesions to see throughout one’s career [ 55 ]. However, primary care dentists must be trained to recognize the premalignant lesions early as a clinical routine to reduce delays in OOC diagnosis and treatment [ 54 ].…”

Factors Associated with Avoiding Referrals by Dental Teleconsulting Sessions in Brazil

“…This rate reinforces the need for a resolutive PHC in the country [ 2 ]. In the context of significant variability in healthcare coverage [ 3 , 26 , 33 , 35 ], performance [ 36 ], and infrastructure [ 4 ], telehealth is an essential strategy to narrow the gaps within care levels and reduce health inequalities [ 24 , 26 ].…”

Oral health in emerging countries and suggestions for adjusted care strategies

“…110 In most cases, oral health is privately financed (64% out-of-pocket, 26% private insurance) and predominantly delivered by private providers 110 . As a result, there are still major regions where people are unserved by primary oral health care, 112 the declared backbone of Brazil´s new oral health policy. 111 These might be the crucial facts underlying the structural problem that plagues Brazilian oral care.…”