Contribuição para melhoria do atendimento odontológico aos idosos no município de Ribeirão das Neves, Minas Gerais

Abstract

By the reality of the country as the elderly population increases, it is observed that there is need for dealing with such demand, including those related to oral health, especially due to the fact that this population has historically been excluded from services in this area of health. This study aimed to develop proposals from the available literature for addressing the oral health problems experienced by the elderlypopulation of Ribeirão das Neves, also to organize and qualify the work process that currently exists in the municipality for this population. The data for this study were sought on BIREME (Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde), by searching databases MEDLINE and LILACS for publications dating from 1997 to 2012 in the Portuguese language, in the form of articles using the keywords "elderly health care" and "oral health". Official data was also searched. Fourteen articles have been selected for reading and analysis. Selected papers indicate that the organization requires theinvolvement of experts, including the need to address not only the physiological process of aging, but mostly should be adopted preventive practices and health promoters. Such items allowed organize planning proposals of oral health care for the elderly, developed by oral health teams deployed in Family Health Strategy on the municipality of Ribeirão das Neves, MG.