Oral health policies in Brazil

Since Oral Health policies in Brazil have been constructed according to circumstances and possibilities, they should be understood within a given context. The present analysis contextualizes several issues of the Brazilian Oral Health Policy, called "Smiling Brazil", and describes its present stage of development. Today it involves re-organizing basic oral health care by deploying Oral Health Teams within the Family Health strategy, setting up Centers of Dental Specialists within an Oral Health network as a secondary care measure, setting up Regional Laboratories of Dental Prosthesis and a more extensive fluoridation of the public water supply

Avaliação da atenção secundária em saúde bucal: uma investigação nos centros de especialidades do Brasil Evaluation of secondary care in oral health: a study of specialty clinics in Brazil

Este trabalho discorre a respeito da avaliação da atenção secundária no âmbito da vigilância em saúde. Estudo descritivo, de caráter avaliativo normativo. Para análise de desempenho, foram utilizados dados secundários, com base na série histórica da produção de procedimentos odontológicos realizados nos CEO implantados no país e registrados pelo SIA/SUS no ano de 2007, e dados primários, pela visita in loco de 10% dos serviços implantados, com uso de questionários dirigidos à equipe profissional do CEO. Dentre os CEO analisados, observou-se que na maioria das regiões houve dificuldade no cumprimento das metas relativas à quantidade de procedimentos a serem informados no SIA/SUS. Sendo a Região Norte com menor percentual de serviços implantados. O indicador Cumprimento da Atenção Secundária em Saúde Bucal foi de 64,4%. Os CEO tipo III tiveram melhores resultados para o desempenho e cumprimento das metas. Foi evidenciada a necessidade de revisão no marco legal para a implantação dos CEO pela readequação dos critérios e normas, como também definições de novos padrões e cumprimento de metas para avaliação e monitoramento desses serviços.<br>This article discusses the evaluation of secondary care in the area of health surveillance. This was a descriptive and normative/evaluative study. Performance analysis drew on secondary data, based on a historical series of dental procedures conducted at the specialized dental clinics implemented in Brazil and recorded by the Outpatient Information System of the Unified National Health System (SIA/SUS) in 2007, as well as primary data from site visits to the clinics, based on questionnaires completed by clinic staff. Performance of the clinics was poor in most regions of the country, and the North of Brazil had the lowest percentage of specialty services implemented. The indicator "Performance of Secondary Care in Oral Health" was 64.4%. The type 3 specialty clinics showed better results in terms of performance and achievement of targets. The study showed the need to review the legal framework for implementing specialized dental clinics by adjusting the criteria and norms, as well as definition of new standards for achievement of goals in the evaluation and monitoring of these services