The aim of this study was to determine whether the incorporation of Oral Health Teams (OHT) into the Family Health Program (FHP) led to greater use of dental services in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. Twenty-two census tracts were studied, 11 located in areas covered by the FHP for at least one year and paired according to socioeconomic criteria with 11 tracts in areas without coverage. The final sample consisted of 4,604 subjects. The areas covered by OHT in the FHP (model 1) were compared to areas covered by the FHP but without OHT (model 2) and to areas covered by traditional primary care services or without any coverage (model 3). In areas covered by model 1, 32% of the population used dental care, whereas in models 2 and 3 the rates were 45.4% and 17.5%, respectively (p < 0.001). With respect to age, model 1 only exceeded model 2 in the age bracket 12 years and under. The study concludes that OHT in the FHP only had a positive impact on the target indicator when compared to model 3.
Health Services Evaluation; Family Health Program; Oral Healh
