Os Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas como suporte da atenção básica: uma avaliação na perspectiva da integralidade

The public dental services in Brazil were limited, practically, to the basic care, so that the specialized services acted, up to 2002, no more than 3,5% of the total of clinical procedures. That lower offer reveals the difficulty of continuity of the attention, that is, the comprehensiveness in the assistance, particulary, the reference and counter-reference system. Brasil Sorridente search to supply those needs when proposing Speciality Dental's Centers(CEOs Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas, Brazil) to compose the services of average complexity. In 2005, Ministry of Health enabled the three CEOs of Natal, located in the North II, East and West Sanitary Districts. This investigation evaluated the implantation of these CEOs, as support of the family health care teams, in the perspective of organization of the services in assistencial nets in Natal/RN. It was a study of evaluation, with qualitative approach and some quantitative data as contribution. Dentists, users and managers were interviewed to identify and to understand their perceptions, relationships and experiences in the daily of the services. The conceptual base that orientated the investigation was the principle of comprehensiveness, in its operational sense of the hierarchization in health attention levels. The collection of data was done with documental research, direct observation and semi-structured interview. The analysis was accomplished by triangulation of the extracted content from the used techniques and sources of interviewed groups depositions, looking for theoretical-conceptual support in specific bibliography. The results pointed aspects that go away from the comprehensiveness like: low resolution of problems in the basic net; little valorization of the space in the health units; traditional models of access to health services, insufficient offer for some specialties, compromising the reference and counter-reference system; practices centered in procedures in the CEO; bureaucratic directions from basic care to the specialized service; disintegrated and disjointed system among levels of attention; disrespect to the municipal protocol. On the other hand, there is an approach of compreensiveness in situations like: increase of the access and covering in the Family Health Strategy (ESF Estratégia Saúde da Família, Brazil); larger approach between professional and user; tendency to the quantitative and qualitative growth of specialized actions; punctual initiatives of relationships among levels; existence of protocol to guide professionals

Centros de especialidades odontológicas: avaliação da atenção de média complexidade na rede pública da Grande Natal

The Specialized Dental Care Centers (CEO) were developed to provide specialized dental care to the population, given the accumulated needs of health since the past. They must operate as units of reference for the Oral Health Team of the Primary Care, complementing the dental procedures performed at this level of attention. This study aims to assess the performance of CEOs of the Grande Natal Health Region as a strategy of Secondary Care consolidation in oral health through users, dentists and managers. For this to try to identify factors about access, hosting and satisfaction with the service, the actions developed in these centers, integration between the CEOs and the Basic Health Units (UBS), considering the reference and counter reference. Data were collected through semi-structured interview, conducted in four CEOs, among 253 users, 31 dentists and 4 managers. It was submitted to descriptive statistical analysis and to content analysis by software ALCESTE 4.5. The results revealed that the specialties of prosthesis, endodontics and surgery were the most sought by 38.2%, 23.7% and 21.7% of respondents, respectively. It was noticed that among users aged 18 to 30 years-old the greatest demand is for the specialty of endodontics (44.4%) and over 50 years for prosthesis (76.4%). There is a weakness in the reference and counter reference between UBS and CEO, because part of users goes directly to the centers without going before to the Primary Care and the majority does not want to return to the dentist of Health Unit. Satisfaction with care was reported by 90.9% of users, because they resolved the problems needed and were welcomed by the team. But the delay in care was the main factor for not satisfaction. For most dentists, some users could solve their problems completely in Primary Care, which shows the existence of unnecessary referrals to the CEOs, however they consider the existence of limiting factors in UBS that compromise the service. Most dentists revealed that some users do not get to CEOs with the basic dental treatment done, and some of them do not counter reference users. It can be concluded that the studied CEOs are being resolutive for those who access them, offering necessary care for the population, and if they don t account with this service, will encounter obstacles to resolution of problems, ranging seek care service in particular, in another public sector, or even giving up treatment. However, it is perceived the need of professionals training to understand the importance of the reference and counter reference, to that they can better serve and guide users. It is also important that cities offer better conditions to UBS and CEOs, so they can work together, with complementary actions of oral health, seeking full care, aiming for better resolution to the users' health problems

Satisfação dos usuários e qualidade dos tratamentos protéticos realizados nos centros de especialidades odontológicas da grande Natal RN

Aim: To evaluate user satisfaction and quality of prosthetic treatments performed in specialized dental clinics (CEOs) of Natal Metropolitan Region - RN. Methods: Cross-sectional study with subjects who underwent prosthetic CEOs in the cities of Natal, Macaíba, Parnamirim and Sao Goncalo do Amarante in the period 2007 to 2009. Data collection was performed by questionnaire, clinical examination of the oral cavity and examination of fabricated denture. This analysis involved the following aspects: retention, stability, aesthetics and prosthesis fixation. The variables are presented by means of absolute numbers and proportions. The determination of the association between the independent and dependent variables was conducted by the association of Chi-square test and Fisher exact test. Results: A total of 149 users, totaling 233 conventional dentures (148 upper and 85 lower). Most patients (56.4%) were rehabilitated with conventional complete dentures. The technical quality of the denture was regarded as satisfactory in the majority (52.7%), whereas the inferior dentures were rated as unsatisfactory in 90.5% of cases. Satisfaction with the prosthesis was 69.1% (N = 103). The average time to begin treatment was 3 months to receive while the prosthesis was 4 months old. The presence of injury from the upper prosthesis occurred in 21.5% of cases (N = 32), candidiasis being the most frequent (N = 18). The technical quality of the upper prosthesis (p=0,041), as well as retention (p=0,002) and stability (p<0,001) were significantly associated with user satisfaction. Conclusions: The specialized Dental clinics has been fulfilling its role of providing treatment of intermediate complexity for low-income population with the majority of satisfield patients, even when their dentures have problems of technical quality

Avaliacão da satisfação do usuário e da qualidade dos tratamentos endodônticos em Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas da Grande Natal-RN

Objective: To evaluate the degree of users satisfaction and technical quality of endodontic treatment in specialized dental clinics (CEO) of Grande Natal / RN between 2006 and 2008. Methodology: evaluated 282 endodontically treated teeth in CEOs through clinical and radiographic examinations. A questionnaire about the clinical condition of the tooth, evaluation of care and satisfaction with treatment was applied. Data on pre-and trans-operative were noted by the patient's clinical record. Endodontically treated teeth were examined by a specialist in endodontics, which compared with previous radiographs and current ones. The collected datas were presented descriptively by absolute numbers, percentages, averages. To determine the association between the independent and dependent variables was carried out through the bivariate association test Chi-square and Fisher exact test. Results: 79.8% presented with radiographic normal and 84.4% without pain symptoms. 8.2% of the teeth were fractured and 3.2% extracted. The persistence of the periapical lesion was associated with initial periapical status (p <0.05). 91.5% of patients are satisfied with the outcome of treatment. Such satisfaction is associated with absence of pain and an adequate esthetic tooth position (p <0.05). Conclusion: endodontic treatment in specialized dental clinics have an adequate technical quality, resulting in the success of endodontic therapy performed in these centers and that users are satisfied with the treatment

Referência e contra referência em saúde bucal: regulação do acesso aos centros de especialidades odontológicas

Objective Based on the system of reference and counter-reference and comprehensiveness in oral health care, we aimed to examine ways of refering users to Specialized Dental Care Centers (SDCC) and the interface between them and Primary Care. Methods This is a cross-sectional study carried out with users and dentists of SDCC in a metropolitan region of Northeast of Brazil. Analyses were descriptive, and the association test was done with chi-square. Results Six forms of entry to specialized service were identified: free demand (13.8 %) and reference by the Primary Care dentist (63.2 %) were most frequent. Users referred by the basic health unit dentist had more interest in making a counter-reference than the others (p<0.001, PR=4.65, 95 % CI: 2.74 to 7.91), while individuals without this referral had 1.49 times more difficulty obtaining care (95 % CI: 1.02 to 2.17). Referral procedures are a decisive factor for counter-references. However, the high demand for primary care services and the short supply these services can offer in the face of needs make SDCC performance difficult. Conclusion The analysis of oral health practices from the perspective of network modeling points to the service's need to establish protocols for regulation in a bid to improve access to and the quality of care provided.

Referência e contra referência em saúde bucal: regulação do acesso aos centros de especialidades odontológicas

Objective Based on the system of reference and counter-reference and comprehensiveness in oral health care, we aimed to examine ways of refering users to Specialized Dental Care Centers (SDCC) and the interface between them and Primary Care. Methods This is a cross-sectional study carried out with users and dentists of SDCC in a metropolitan region of Northeast of Brazil. Analyses were descriptive, and the association test was done with chi-square. Results Six forms of entry to specialized service were identified: free demand (13.8 %) and reference by the Primary Care dentist (63.2 %) were most frequent. Users referred by the basic health unit dentist had more interest in making a counter-reference than the others (p<0.001, PR=4.65, 95 % CI: 2.74 to 7.91), while individuals without this referral had 1.49 times more difficulty obtaining care (95 % CI: 1.02 to 2.17). Referral procedures are a decisive factor for counter-references. However, the high demand for primary care services and the short supply these services can offer in the face of needs make SDCC performance difficult. Conclusion The analysis of oral health practices from the perspective of network modeling points to the service's need to establish protocols for regulation in a bid to improve access to and the quality of care provided.