The aim of this study was to describe the production of specialized outpatient dental services and associated factors in Brazilian municipalities (counties) with and without Specialized Dental Clinics (SDC). Data were collected from the following sources: Information Technology Department of the Unified National Health System, Human Development Atlas for Brazil, and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression was used to fit rates of endodontic procedures, primary care, periodontics, and surgery. After controlling for socio-demographic factors, municipalities with SDC showed higher rates for the above-mentioned procedures than those without, except for primary care. In the final model, including service structure variables, municipalities with type III SDC showed a rate of endodontic procedures that was 2.08 times higher (95%CI: 1.26; 3.44) than those without. Among the structural variables, municipalities with higher health expenditures and more dentists in the Unified National Health System showed consistently higher rates for all types of procedures. The SDC appear to have a positive effect on the local production of specialized procedures (especially endodontic), an effect not explained by structural variables.
Dental Health Services; Health Policy; Secondary Care; Ecological Studies