Role of surgeon-dentists in home visits: oral health care

• Autor(a) principal: Bizerril, Davi Oliveira
• Data de Publicação: 2015
• Outros Autores: Saldanha, Kátia de Góis Holanda, Silva, Joacy Parente da, Almeida, Janaína Rocha de Sousa, Almeida, Maria Eneide Leitão
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista Brasileira de Medicina de Família e Comunidade (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://www.rbmfc.org.br/rbmfc/article/view/1020
• topic: Home Visit; Oral Health; Humanization of Assistance; Dentists; Visita Domiciliaria; Salud Bucal; Humanización de la Atención; Odontólogos; Visita Domiciliar; Saúde Bucal; Humanização da Assistência; Dentistas; Atenção domiciliar

This article reports the experience of dentists who performed home visits as a way to ensure access to the oral health among a portion of the population that was unable to reach primary health care units. This study aimed to identify the actions and activities developed by dentists for home visits. The experience occurred in the residences of users of the primary health care unit José Valdevino de Carvalho, in the city of Fortaleza, capital of Ceará, from January to November 2013. The actions and activities identified were categorized into the following basic levels of health care: promotion, prevention, investigation of soft tissue lesions and limitation of damages. The results showed that the frequency of activities for promotion and prevention was high. However, the frequency of actions for investigating soft tissue lesions and for limiting damages due to existing oral problems was low. The dentists performed 96 home visits in order to offer total coverage to disabled users of locomotion. The actions and health promotion activities were based on encouraging healthy habits and practice guidelines on smoking and alcoholism. Preventive actions were oral hygiene instruction, supervised brushing and topical application of fluoride. The other actions for limiting damage due to pre-existing oral problems were teeth extractions in individuals with periodontal problems. Thus, dentists who perform home visits assume an important role that facilitates the physical and social well-being of individuals who are unable to go to a primary health care unit.