Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the association between population coverage by oral health teams under the Family Health Strategy (FHS) and the difference in 1999 and 2011 in rates of use of public dental services in Brazilian municipalities. The sample included all 5,507 municipalities in both years. Data were used from government information systems to perform logistic regression for modeling the increase in procedure rates. By 2011, 85% of Brazil’s municipalities had oral health teams under the FHS and there had been an increase in infrastructure, human and financial resources. Dental care output increased 49.5% from 1999 to 2011. Municipalities that incorporated more than 3 oral health teams per 10,000 inhabitants showed higher odds of increasing their rates of community procedures (OR = 1.61, 95%CI: 1.23-2.11), prophylactic procedures (OR = 2.05, CI95%: 1.56-2.69), restorations (OR = 2.07, 95%CI: 1.58-2.71), and extractions (OR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.19-1.97) after adjusting for socio-demographic factors and variations in physical, human and financial resources. The incorporation of oral health teams into the FHS appears more effective for increasing indicators of the use of dental services.
Dental Health Services; Primary Health Care; Health Services Accessibility; Public Health Policy