Ampliação do acesso ao tratamento odontológico para pacientes vulneráveis que só buscam atendimento de urgência

Abstract

It is very frequent the search for emergency dental care at NossaSenhora Aparecida Health Center. The apparent disconnection betweenpreventive care and the wait for the last minute to seek treatment can beexplained by the daily and economical coercions that almost impairs access to professional oral health care. The objective of this study was to propose a strategy to increase the search for odontological sequential treatment, among the users that only look for the relief of pain, through active searching vulnerable individuals. It was chosen an area of high social vulnerability and 60 users were randomly called for an evaluation and codification of needs. Among those most were between the 20 and 39 years of age, female and of low socioeconomic level. All individuals needed dental treatment, but they had never previously sought the unit. They mentioned as main barriers for searching treatment: the impossibility of leaving to the work and the lack of available dental appointments. It was observed that dental caries were not noticed,before it manifested cavity signs or pain. The intervention implemented in this study prioritized individuals with higher treatment needs improving their access to curative and preventive measures, promoting equity and social justice.