Atenção domiciliar odontológica das unidades de saúde da família do Rio Grande, RS

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the situation of dental home care in the Family Health Units in the city of Rio Grande, RS. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee under opinion number 53624621.0.0000.5317. For this purpose, a qualitative approach was used through in-depth interviews with twelve dental surgeons who work in the municipality's Family Health strategy. Data were collected in April and May 2022, virtually using Google Meet. For data analysis, Bardin's thematic categorical content analysis was used, from which four categories emerged. The first addresses the understanding of home care from the perspective of dental surgeons: This category shows the dentists' view, the target audience that should receive care at home and how they understand planning. In the second category, the actions that dentists consider important in home care were identified: Assessment of clinical and environmental conditions, health education, dental care at home or at the health unit and referral to tertiary care, when necessary. In the third category, the factors that influence the performance of dental home care were addressed, such as the high demand for care and the absence of protocols and spreadsheets for the organization of home care, and the fourth category included suggestions for improvements in the structure, such as the acquisition of portable equipment for collective use, the elaboration of a protocol and continuing education activities. The findings revealed that, although they understand the subject and know the actions that must be carried out, dental surgeons are not able to include them as a routine at work. There is a need to expand oral health care practices so that this space is conquered, but it is essential to provide conditions for such progress. The study revealed that difficulties persist in achieving the ideal scenario in the context of dental home care. Finally, it is expected that the aggregated information, from the narratives, can support the organization of the work process and, thus, include home care in oral health for patients with difficult access to the health unit.