The Dental Specialties Center as a point of attention in the Oral Health Care Network in a region of Paraná

Abstract

The National Oral Health Policy (NOHP) arose as an alternativefor the improvement of oral healthcare to all Brazilians. On theperspective of specialized care, Dental Specialties Centers(DSC) were implemented. Aim: The aim of this manuscriptwas the analysis the role of the DSC for the organization of theOral Health Care Network (OHCN) in the 20th Regional HealthSection (RHS) of Paraná. Methods: It is a qualitative study,which analyzed the role performed by the regional DSC TypeIII, a reference for 18 municipalities. The data were collectedthrough interviews carried out in the period between Marchand April 2019. Fourteen professional dentist-surgeons, ninefrom Basic Health Units (BHU) and five from the DSC wereinterviewed. For data analysis, speech analysis was used.Results: An active role of the regional DSC was identified inthis healthcare region, as it acts as a fundamental point in thestrengthening of the network, in the process of regionalizationand in the integrality of care. Conclusions: However, theimportance of broadening the access to specialized careneeds to be highlighted, to guarantee the continuity of carestarted at the BHU.

Keywords

• Comprehensive health care
• Dental care
• Health policy
• Oral health