Formação e prática profissional do técnico em saúde bucal: um estudo sobre a percepção de egressos

Abstract

This research evaluated the training and professional practice of the Oral Health Technician (TSB Técnico em Saúde Bucal) through an analysis of the narratives of graduates from the Technical Course in Oral Health at the Health Technical School (ESTES Escola Técnica de Saúde) of the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU Universidade Federal de Uberlândia). A questionnaire was applied to 195 of 306 graduates between 1989 and 2009, in both qualitative and quantitative aspects. This study analyzed documents and made semi-structured interviews with TSB/ESTES/UFU graduates, health professionals. The results show that the majority of graduates are female (97.9%), coming from public high schools (77.9%), and that these people started the course with an average age of 24.8 years. Almost half of the graduates (44.6%) continued their studies at a higher education, mostly in private institutions. About two-thirds of the graduates surveyed (70.2%) exercised the profession for which they were trained for over five years, and only 13.8% reported exercising the function of Assistant Dental Health (ASB Auxiliar de Saúde Bucal). The monthly income of the majority of respondents was between one and two minimum wages. At the time of the survey, 40.5% reported that they were exercising the profession of TSB, 7.7% BSA, and 41.0% worked in other professions. The low remuneration offered to the category, the lack of jobs for the TSB, the devaluation of the profession by dental surgeons and failures of supervision as to the legality of the professional practice of dental assistants were the main factors as to why the graduates do not exercise the TSB profession. An underutilization of graduates in professional practice was identified, as most developed during the performance of the function of TSB, tasks that could be delegated to an assistant. After the approval of Law 11.889/2008, which regulates the profession of TSB and ASB, the graduates failed to perform the scraping of calculations and restorations in cavities prepared by dental surgeons, and worked mainly in collective procedures for health promotion and prevention of oral diseases. For 64.1% of the graduates that at the moment of the survey acted as TSB, the approval of Law 11.889/2008 was considered a setback in the historical process of the consolidation of the profession in the market. People considered that, due to the impact of this legislation in the practice of TSB, the TSB/ESTES/UFU course should promote curricular adjustments, and develop actions that contribute to the legitimacy of the profession by society. The graduates expressed satisfaction with the training received and found that the content developed during the course was appropriate to the needs of the labor market. The TSB/ESTES/UFU course represented, for many of them, the opportunity of resumption of formal studies, the inclusion in the labor market with resulting financial gains and personal and professional growth, along with the opportunity to continue their studies in a graduation course.