Abstract

This paper reviews the historical development of public health policies in Brazil and the insertion of oral health in this context. Since 1988, Brazil established a Unified National Health System ("Sistema Unico de Saúde"--SUS), which was conceived to assure access to health actions and services, including oral health. However, a history of lack of access to health services and the health problems faced by the Brazilian population make the process of building and consolidating the SUS extremely challenging. Since 2004, the Oral Health National Policy has proposed a reorientation of the health care model, supported by an adaptation of the working system of Oral Health teams so that they include actions of health promotion, protection and recovery. Human resources should be prepared to act in this system. The qualifying process must take in consideration knowledge evolution, changes in the work process and changes in demographical and epidemiological aspects, according to a perspective of maintaining a balance between technique and social relevance.

Highlights

  • Over the last few decades, there have been great changes in the political, social and economic scenarios in Brazil

  • This paper reviews the historical development of public health policies in Brazil and the insertion of oral health in this context

  • Until the Constitution of the Republic was promulgated with the creation of the “Sistema Único de Saúde” - SUS (Unified National Health System),[4] the health sector was historically organized in a dichotomic way: on one hand, a public health sector and, on the other, a social security assistance sector.[5]

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Summary

Oral Health

(a)PhD, Professor, Department of Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. (b)PhD, Professor, Discipline of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, Ibirapuera University, São Paulo, Brazil. (c)PhD, Adjunct Professor, Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry of São José dos Campos, São Paulo State University, São José dos Campos, Brazil

Introduction
The Brazilian health system
The Brazilian oral health system
Human resources
Research and publication in oral health
Findings
Final considerations
Full Text
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