Oral health in the family health strategy: a change of practices or semantics diversionism.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate public health dentistry practices of two different family health models.


METHODS
Qualitative study conducted with data obtained from focus groups consisting of 58 dentists working in the Family Health Strategy for at least three years between August-October, 2006. The Paideia Family Health Approach was used in the city of Campinas and the Oral Health Initiative as part of the Family Health Strategy was implemented in the city of Curitiba, Southeastern and Southern Brazil, respectively. Data was analyzed using the hermeneutic-dialectic method. Analysis indicators were employed to indicate backwardness, stagnation or progress in oral health practices effective from the implementation of the strategies referred. The indicators used were: work process; interdisciplinary approach; territorialization; capacity building of human resources; health promotion practices; and responsiveness to users' demands.


RESULTS
There was progress in user access to services, humanization of health care, patient welcoming and patient-provider relationship. The results related to health promotion practices, territorialization, interdisciplinary approach and resource capacity building indicated a need for technical and operational enhancements in both cities.


CONCLUSIONS
Both models have brought about important advances in terms of increased access to services and humanization of health care. Universal access to oral health at all levels of complexity was not achieved in both cities studied. Local health managers and oral health program coordinators must bring more weight to bear in the arena that defines public policy priorities.
Nascimento
Antonio Carlos
AC
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Odontologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil. antonioc@up.edu.br
Moysés
Simone Tetu
ST
Bisinelli
Julio Cesar
JC
Moysés
Samuel Jorge
SJ
D001938:Brazil; D002947:Cities; D005192:Family Health; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000592:standards; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D006808:Humanism; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009909:Oral Health / Q000592:standards*; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000592:standards*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research