Associação entre a cobertura de equipes de saúde bucal na saúde da família e o aumento na produção ambulatorial dos municípios brasileiros, 1999 e 2011

Standardization of Dental Vulnerability Scale scores (EVO-BR)

BACKGROUND

Dental Vulnerability Scale (EVO-BR) is an instrument developed to help identifying oral health-vulnerable individuals. This scale comprises 15 items distributed into 4 dimensions. It is the first instrument with the potential to guide clinical and managerial decisions in the oral health field. The aim is to validate a score to enable using EVO-BR in Primary Health Care (PHC).

METHOD

The investigated sample included PHC users in five Brazilian regions. Data were collected at two different stages: in 2019 (São Paulo) and in 2022 (Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Roraima, Pernambuco e Paraná). Exploratory descriptive study of this scale scores was carried out to create classification ranges. Subsequently, discriminant analysis was performed to assess the accuracy of the established classification. Boosting regression was carried out to check items' weight for the instrument score.

RESULTS

EVO-BR score ranged from 0 (highest vulnerability) to 15 (lowest vulnerability). Four (4) classification configurations were tested. Score equal to 12 points was the one presenting the best classification of the assessed individuals (100% were correctly classified). Boosting regression has evidenced that items 1 and 2 (Overall health domain) and 14 and 15 (Health Services domain) had the strongest influence on this instrument's score.

CONCLUSION

The process to standardize the EVO-BR score and, consequently, to develop assessment ranges, is an important step in the fight against health inequalities, since it provides a tool to help planning actions and interventions aimed at meeting specific needs of the population in the Primary Health Care context.

Racial inequality in complete dental prosthesis delivered: can public services reduce inequities?

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between access and delivery of complete dental prosthesis according to the proportion of the black population in Brazilian municipalities and to oral health policies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ecological data from 2017 to 2021 relating to the delivery of complete dentures stratified by race was collected in all Brazilian cities. We calculated a racial inequality indicator by subtracting the percentage of the black population from the percentage of complete dental prostheses that were delivered to blacks in each municipality. Logistic and linear regression models were carried out.

RESULTS

We found that 49.2% (2737) of municipalities delivered complete prostheses. The service was more frequently available in municipalities where black individuals made up 20-80% (odds ratio [OR] = 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15; 1.81), those with dental specialty centers (DSC) (OR = 3.04, 95%CI 2.50; 3.68), and those with more oral health teams (OHTs) (OR = 3.43, 95%CI 2.81; 4.18). Where dental prostheses were available, racial inequities favored the white population by 7.7 percentage points (p < 0.01). Increased inequality was observed in municipalities with more OHTs and/or a higher proportion of black individuals (>80%).

CONCLUSIONS

Although municipalities with a DSC, and with more OHTs offer better access to complete dental prosthesis for blacks, racial inequality still impacts the delivery of the service. Primary and secondary healthcare services may even exacerbate this.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Policymakers should monitor racial inequities in healthcare services. The currently unmet needs of black people are critical, especially in cities with more OHTs and/or increased proportions of black people.

[What aspects influence the prioritization of Primary Health Care by municipal managers in Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil?]

Primary Health Care (PHC) is capable of achieving broad coverage and effectiveness. This study evaluated the factors associated with the prioritization that municipal health managers in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) give to PHC. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out between August 2017 and May 2019 using an online FormSUS questionnaire, consisting of 44 questions divided into 4 blocks, sent to 497 municipal health managers. Multiple logistic regression was performed to analyze factors associated with PHC prioritization. Out of 404 participants, 66.8% reported a maximum degree of prioritization. Managers with a postgraduate degree showed greater prioritization than those with elementary education (78.5% vs 58.8%, p<0.01). Regarding the postgraduate area, managers with training in public health prioritized PHC more than in other areas, or with no postgraduate studies, respectively with 84%, 77.1% and 61.8% (p<0.01). After adjusting for covariates, having a postgraduate degree in public health or in another area remained associated with greater chances of prioritization. The results may encourage initiatives that consider the level and area of education for this position focusing on technical, and not strictly political criteria.

Relationship between Professional Training of Dentists and Outpatient Clinical Production

Background. The aim was to evaluate the association between the professional training of dentists and their outpatient production (OP) of clinical and collective/preventive procedures and the total number of procedures registered in a health information system. Methods. It included all 19,947 primary dental care units participating in the Program for Improvement of Access and Quality of Primary Care (PMAQ-AB 2nd cycle) and the number of clinical procedures (CP), collective/preventive procedures (PP), and total procedures (TP) registered in the ambulatory information system between November 2013 and July 2014 for each participant oral health team. The outcome was being above the national median of procedures. The main variables related to training were the dentists specialising in family health, the level of training, and participation in permanent education. Effect estimates were calculated by multiple logistic regression. Results. In the final model, controlled by contextual factor work process, family health specialists had higher chances ( $\text{odds}\text{ratio}\left(\text{OR}\right)=1.13$ , 95% CI: 1.00; 1.27) of producing above the national median of CP than nonspecialists, $\text{OR}=1.06$ (0.96; 1.18) for PP and $\text{OR}=1.17$ (1.08; 1.27) for TP. Dentists taking permanent education had higher chances than those not taking it of producing above the national median for CP, PP, and TT, respectively, with $\text{OR}=1.40$ (1.20; 1.62), $\text{OR}=1.24$ (1.09; 1.40), and $\text{OR}=1.28$ (1.18; 1.39). Conclusion. Training in family health performs more procedures in primary care settings than those without training. However, this OP is influenced by variables related to the municipality and the work process, especially for PP. If the highest production observed is a consequence of training, then public health managers can not only encourage training policies such as permanent education policies to expand the use of services.

Atenção Primária à Saúde no Norte e Nordeste do Brasil: mapeando disparidades na distribuição de equipes

Resumo Objetiva-se analisar o padrão espacial de implantação de equipes da Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS) no Norte e Nordeste do Brasil em 2017. Estudo ecológico das taxas de Agentes Comunitários de Saúde (ACS), equipes Saúde da Família (eSF), equipes Saúde Bucal (eSB) e Núcleo Ampliado de Saúde da Família (NASF), a partir de dados do Ministério da saúde (MS). A análise dos dados de área permitiu a identificação de padrões de dependência espacial dos municípios para as taxas, utilizando os índices e mapas de Moran para visualizar clusters de áreas críticas (95% de confiança). Os municípios do Norte (n=450) e Nordeste (n=1.794) apresentaram 132,2 mil ACS, 18,4 mil eSF, 13 mil eSB e 2,2 mil NASF. A proporção de municípios com taxas dentro do preconizado pelo MS: ACS (>1,33/mil) 96% no Norte e 98,5% no Nordeste; eSF (>2,9/10 mil) 54% e 80% nas respectivas regiões; eSB (>2,9/10 mil) 28% e 59% nestas respectivas regiões. Equipes NASF foram implantadas em 70% do Norte e 89% do Nordeste. Exceto ACS, a região Norte constituiu-se em área crítica de equipes, principalmente no Pará, Rondônia, Amazonas e Amapá. No Nordeste, essas áreas foram menores e concentradas a oeste da Bahia e leste do Maranhão. O Nordeste exibiu melhor composição de equipes e menor extensão de áreas críticas.

[Organization of demand in oral health and family vulnerability]

The scope of this study was to analyze the relationship of an instrument of family vulnerability with sociodemographic, dental, and spatial distribution in a given territory. The dependent variable was the classification of family vulnerability, proposed by Coelho and Savassi. The independent variables were selected on the basis of the theoretical model proposed by Andersen. Hierarchical multiple logistic regression models were estimated. Kernel density estimation was used for spatial analysis. Subjects who lived with more than 4 people (OR = 3.46; 95% CI), who were dissatisfied with their oral health (OR = 2.38; 95% CI), who were ashamed to smile and talk (OR = 3.03, 95% CI) were more likely to be "at risk" in the family. Spatial analysis enabled the visualization of an area of ​​higher concentration of families "at risk". The relationship of the instrument of vulnerability analyzed with sociodemographic and dental factors, as well as the assistance in the visualization and identification of more vulnerable areas, are useful in the knowledge of the territory for the planning of actions in oral health, and the conclusion drawn is that the tool can be adopted for more equitable access by the oral health teams.

Association of Oral Health Teams implantation with collective actions and extractions in Paraná State, Brazil

This article aims to monitor the indicators of outpatient production of Dentistry and to evaluate the association of collective action and extraction indicators with the number of Oral Health Teams (OHT) between 2006 and 2015 in Paraná. In this longitudinal ecological study, consolidated secondary data were analyzed (collective actions of supervised brushing-SB, topical application of fluoride-TAF, fluoride mouthwash-FM, oral examination for epidemiological purposes-OE and extractions of permanent teeth-EX) from the Ambulatory Information System (SIA-SUS) and OHT numbers from the National Registry System of Health Establishments. Descriptive analyzes and Pearson's correlation were performed, with significance level of p<0.05. It was verified the increase of the OHT implantation over time and a strong positive correlation with collective procedures of SB (r=0.78; p=0.007) and FM (r=0.76; p=0.011) and moderate negative correlation with EX (r=-0.53). It was concluded that the evaluated indicators showed that the implementation of Oral Health Teams may have contributed to changes to the healthcare model, with an increase in preventive collective procedures and reduction of tooth loss in Paraná.

Pathways between toothache and children's oral health-related quality of life

BACKGROUND

Toothache is considered a multifactorial health problem that is associated with oral diseases and comorbidities.

AIM

Evaluate the direct and indirect pathways between toothache and children's oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL).

DESIGN

This is a cross-sectional study conducted with a random sample of children from southern Brazil. The variables included demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and oral health characteristics. Toothache was collected through the question 'Have you had toothache in the last 12 months?'. COHRQoL was collected by the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 8-10 in his Brazilian version. The pathways between the associated variables, toothache, and COHRQoL were analyzed through structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

A total of 449 schoolchildren were evaluated. The prevalence of toothache was 50.1% (95% confidence interval: 45.4%-54.8%). The poorer COHRQoL was directly affected by the presence of toothache. Considering the indirect pathways, the low household income, high household crowding, low age, the use of public health service, and the untreated dental caries influenced indirectly in the worst COHRQoL via toothache.

CONCLUSION

This study determined that COHRQoL was directly influenced by toothache. Meanwhile, indirect pathways were observed. These findings justify initiatives that highlight the importance of the reduction of oral diseases that can lead to pain experiences.

Dental vulnerability scale in primary health care: evidence of content and structure internal validity

Background

Access to oral health services remains a challenge in the Brazilian healthcare system, especially in the primary health care setting, where the use of a risk stratification tool that could identify individuals with higher dental vulnerability would be extremely valuable. However, there literature on this theme is scarce, and there is no validated instrument in Brazil that is capable of measuring dental vulnerability. Hence, this psychometric study aimed at the development and evaluation of content and internal structure validity of the Dental Vulnerability Scale for Primary Health Care (PHC).

Methods

The items were developed based on a qualitative exploratory analysis. A total of 172 items were prepared and submitted to a panel of specialists, with content validity analyzed with the Content Validity Ratio (CVR), resulting in an the initial version of the instrument composed by 41 items. Internal structure validity was analyzed by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and by applying 3 reliability indicators (Cronbach’s Alpha, McDonald's Omega and Greatest Lower Bound – GBL), with a sample of 1227 individuals.

Results

The final configuration indicated a scale of 15 items divided into 4 dimensions (overall health, oral health, infrastructure, and healthcare services) with explained variance of 72.11%. The factor loads varied from 0.37 to 0.96. The model adjustment indices were set at × 2/df₍₅₁₎ = 3.23, NNFI = 0.95, CFI = 0.98, GFI = 0.96, AGFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.04 and RMSR = 0.03.

Conclusion

DVS presented satisfactory evidence of validity, indicating its suitability to be used by healthcare professionals, students and managers to plan oral health actions and services at PHC.

[Performance of Brazilian municipalities in the supply of specialized oral health services]

The study aimed to analyze factors associated with the availability of specialized dental services in Brazilian municipalities. This was an ecological study with a sample of 776 municipalities that participated in the first cycle of the Program to Improve Access and Quality of Dental Specialization Centers (PMAQ-CEO, in Portuguese) survey held in 2014. The study's dependent variables consisted of a coefficient created with variables on the number of professionals and the workweek of dentists in the minimum set of specialties, per 10,000 inhabitants. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to create a score for the municipalities' performance with the availability of specialized dental services. Factors associated with the municipalities' performance were assessed with Pearson's chi-square test, with the following municipal indicators as independent variables, categorized in tertiles: per capita income, Municipal Human Development Index (HDI-M), resident population, total health spending per inhabitant, and Oral Health Teams per 10,000 inhabitants. Higher performance with the availability of specialized oral health services was associated with municipalities having smaller populations (67.3%; CI: 61.6-73.0; p < 0.001), lower HDI-M (41.9%; CI: 35.8-48.0; p < 0.001), lower per capita income (41.2%; CI: 35.2-47.3; p < 0.001), and higher mean number of oral health teams per 10,000 inhabitants (50.6%; CI: 46.0-58.4; p < 0.001). The results show positive impacts from the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy in Brazil, meeting the goal of expanding the supply of secondary care services according to the principle of equity in care.

Monitoring of oral health teams after National Primary Care Policy 2017

OBJECTIVE

To monitor the number of oral health teams implemented in the Family Health Strategy after National Primary Care Policy 2017.

METHODS

This is a study of quantitative, descriptive and analytical nature that used the data from the public reports of the history of oral health coverage available in the e-Manager platform of Primary Care of the Ministry of Health of all Brazilian municipalities (5,570). The survival rate of the municipalities that did not reduce the number of oral health teams was analyzed according to the region of the country, human development index, Gini inequality index and population size. Cox regression was used to analyze the factors associated with the decrease in the number of teams implanted after 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 months of publication of the 2017 national policy ordinance, considering the hazard ratio (HR) and p < 0.05.

RESULTS

After 21 months of publication of the policy, 6.7% of Brazilian municipalities reduced the number of oral health teams. This reduction was higher in the South (6.7%) and Northeast (4.8%), in municipalities with the highest human development index, i.e., greater than or equal to 0.7 (5.6%), more unequal in terms of income distribution (Gini index > 0.62) and larger population size (more than 100,000 inhabitants). Municipalities in the Northeast (HR = 1.220) and South (HR = 1.771) regions had a higher chance of reducing the number of teams compared with those in the North region. More unequal municipalities (HR = 6.405) and with larger population size (HR = 4.273) were also more likely to reduce the coverage of oral health teams.

CONCLUSION

The municipalities that reduced the number of oral health teams in the Family Health Strategy are from the South and Northeast regions, with greater social inequality and larger population size. This scenario can significantly affect the population's access to dental health services in the Unified Health System, especially among those in need.

Profile of Public Dentistry Contests in the Southeast Region of Brazil

AbstractPublic contest is one of the best ways for health professionals to enter the Family Health Strategy (FHS) and other public health services. The objective of this study was to verify the profile of Dentistry public examinations in the southeast region, as well as to analyze the coherence between the proposal of   FHS and the content on the professionals selection   for this position. The examinations  were retrieved by means of research of the sites: PCI Concursos and  Folha Dirigida and sites of companies of greater representativeness in the competitive bidding in the states of the southeast region. From the entire southeastern region, 266 competitive examinations were obtained for the position of dental surgeon, from 2001 to 2017. For the data analysis,, three categories were created: QG, for the questions that included the general questions present in the tests; QT, individual technical questions that balance the requirements related to specific knowledge; and QC, corresponding to the questions related to collective character. In all the tests analyzed, the specific knowledge (QC and QT) had a higher prevalence among the contents charged. Among the areas that involved the individual technical questions, the subjects of Surgery, Dentistry, Stomatology and Pathology were the ones with the highest prevalence. Through the results, it can be seen that the public examinations for dental surgeons who want to work in the FHS in the states of the southeast region, most of them deal with knowledge of clinical dentistry specialties. Keywords: Dentists. Health Personnel. Examination Question. Resumo O concurso público é uma das melhores formas de inserção dos profissionais de saúde na Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) e em outros serviços de saúde pública. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar o perfil de provas de concursos públicos de Odontologia da região sudeste, bem como analisar a coerência entre a proposta da ESF e o conteúdo da seleção de profissionais para este cargo. Os exames foram recuperados por meio de pesquisa em dois sites bastante acessados que disponibilizam provas de concurso público no Brasil: PCI Concursos e Folha Dirigida e em sites de empresas de maior representatividade nas licitações de concurso nos estados da região sudeste. De toda a região foram obtidas 266 provas de concursos para o cargo de cirurgião dentista, no período de 2001 a 2017. Para análise dos dados foram criadas três categorias: QG, para os quesitos que englobaram as questões gerais presentes nas provas; QT, questões técnicas individuais que equivalem aos quesitos relacionados aos conhecimentos específicos; e QC, correpondendo aos quesitos relacionados ao caráter coletivo. Em todas as provas analisadas, os conhecimentos específicos (QC e QT) tiveram maior prevalência entre os conteúdos cobrados. Dentre as áreas que envolveram os quesitos técnicos individuais, as disciplinas de Cirurgia, Dentística, Estomatologia e Patologia foram as de maior prevalência. Através dos resultados, percebe-se que os concursos públicos para os cirurgiões dentistas que querem atuar na ESF nos estados da região sudeste, abordam em sua maioria conhecimentos de especialidades clínicas da Odontologia. Palavras-chave: Odontólogos. Pessoal da Saúde. Questão de Prova.

[Presence of Specialized Dentistry Centers and the relationship with dental extractions in the oral healthcare network in Brazil]

This study aimed to assess the association between the presence of Specialized Dentistry Centers and dental extractions as a proportion of all dental procedures in public services in Brazil. This was an ecological study that assessed sociodemographic data, oral health services, and outpatient production in 5,333 municipalities in 2000-2001 and 2015-2016. The principal exposure variable was the presence of Specialized Dentistry Centers, and the outcome was the mean national proportion of dental extractions in relation to all preventive and curative dental procedures. Interaction and multiple regression analyses were performed using a binomial model with log link function. The mean national proportions of dental extractions in relation to preventive and curative dental procedures were 27.07% and 15.11% in 2000-2001 and 2015-2016, respectively. In the analysis of interaction between the presence of Specialized Dentistry Centers and coverage greater than 80% by the oral health teams, there were lower proportions of dental extractions in relation to preventive and curative dental procedures (OR = 0.71; 95%CI: 0.71-0.72). In the multiple regression analysis, municipalities with Human Development Index of 0.6-0.7 (OR = 0.77; 95%CI: 0.77-0.77), annual per capita GDP greater than BRL 20,000 (OR = 0.45; 95%CI: 0.45-045), and proportionally higher urban populations (OR = 0.72; 95%CI: 0.72-0.72) showed fewer dental extractions as a proportion of all preventive and curative dental procedures in 2015-2016. In conclusion, there were lower proportions of tooth extractions in municipalities with at least one Specialized Dentistry Center and with a coverage of greater than 80% by the oral health teams, highlighting that municipalities with a consolidated Oral Health Care Network present better performance in the supply of dental care.

[e-SUS AB use and factors associated with recording primary care procedures and consultations in Brazilian municipalities]

This article sought to evaluate e-SUS AB's impact on procedure and consultation notification in the Outpatient Information System of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SIA/SUS) in Brazilian municipalities. This is an ecological study with longitudinal comparisons before, during and after the e-SUS AB implementation period (June 2013 to May 2015) and, during implementation, cross-sectional comparison between municipalities in completed, intermediary and initial implementation stages. Rates were described using means and standard deviations and analyzed through negative binomial regression. Municipalities where e-SUS AB had been implemented in November 2014 were small, with lower Municipal Human Development Index (HDI-M), lower per capita income, higher rates of nurses, high Family Health Strategy - (FHS) coverage (> 80%). We did not observe differences in rates of procedures or consultations between municipalities according to implementation stage and there was no increase over time. Municipalities with 100% FHS coverage had higher rates of procedures (rate ratio [RR] = 1.44; 95%CI: 1.29-1.62) and consultations (RR = 1.26; 95%CI: 1.15-1.39); municipalities with more than 100 thousand inhabitants had lower rates of procedures (RR = 0.68; 95%CI: 0.57-0.81) and consultations (RR = 0.54; 95%CI: 0.47-0.63). We found lower procedure rates in all regions when compared with the Northern Region, with the Northeastern RR of 0.34 (95%CI: 0.30-0.40) lower and the Southern Region RR of 0.35 (95%CI: 0.30-0.41) lower than the Northern Region. Further analyses of system use and its implications in teams' work processes should be carried out in order to support managers in using and maintaining the system.

Is there a fair distribution of the structure of dental services in the capitals of the Brazilian Federative Units?

Background

Brazilian Primary Care Facilities (PCF) provide primary care and must offer dental services for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases. According to a logic of promoting equity, PCF should be better structured in less developed places and with higher need for oral health services.

Objective

To analyze the structure of dental caries services in the capitals of the Brazilian Federative Units and identify whether socioeconomic factors and caries (need) are predictors of the oral health services structure.

Methods

This is an ecological study with variables retrieved from different secondary databases, clustered for the level of the federative capitals. Descriptive thematic maps were prepared, and structural equations were analyzed to identify oral health service structure’s predictors (Alpha = 5%). Four models with different outcomes related to dental caries treatment were tested: 1) % of PCF with a fully equipped office; 2) % of PCF with sufficient instruments, and 3) % of PCF with sufficient supplies; 4) % of PCF with total structure.

Results

21.6% of the PCF of the Brazilian capitals had a fully equipped office; 46.9% had sufficient instruments, and 30.0% had sufficient supplies for caries prevention and treatment. The four models evidenced proper fit indexes. A correlation between socioeconomic factors and the structure of oral health services was only noted in model 3. The worse the socioeconomic conditions, the lower the availability of dental supplies (standard factor loading: 0.92, P = 0.012). Estimates of total, direct and indirect effects showed that dental caries experience observed in the Brazilian population by SB-Brasil in 2010 did not affect the outcomes investigated.

Conclusion

Material resources are not equitably distributed according to the socioeconomic conditions and oral health needs of the population of the Brazilian capitals, thus contributing to persistent oral health inequities in the country.

Política de Saúde Bucal no Brasil: as transformações no período 2015-2017

RESUMO Este estudo analisou a implementação da Política de Saúde Bucal no Brasil entre 2015 e 2017 em quatro componentes: ações institucionais, implantação, financiamento e resultados. Foram realizados acompanhamento dos sites do Ministério da Saúde (MS) e coleta de dados secundários sobre ações institucionais do MS, implantação dos serviços de Atenção Básica e Atenção Especializada, resultados alcançados (cobertura da primeira consulta odontológica, média de ação coletiva de escovação supervisionada e tratamentos especializados) e financiamento. Entre 2015 e 2017, houve aumento de 5,8% no número de Equipes de Saúde Bucal e de 6,4% no número de Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas. A cobertura de primeira consulta odontológica programática decresceu no período de 14,6% em 2015, para 10,5% em 2016 e 8,3% em 2017. Houve redução discreta do financiamento federal no ano de 2017, quando comparado a 2016. Verificou-se, em 2016, um cenário político restritivo para a saúde bucal na menor implantação de novos serviços, com mudanças sucessivas na coordenação nacional da política. É necessário aprofundar o estudo sobre o financiamento da política, visto que o aporte financeiro de 2016-2017 não está coerente com o pouco avanço na implantação e tendência de manutenção de resultados, com queda de indicadores específicos, como o de primeira consulta odontológica programática.