title: Planning oral health and clinical discharge in primary care: the comprehensive dental care protocol outcome.
abstract: The dental care must be driven by preventive and curative measures that can contribute to the population's oral health promotion.
  
  
  
  To evaluate the impact of the actions proposed by a comprehensive dental care protocol (CDCP) on the oral health condition of primary care users.
  
  
  
  The sample consisted of 32 volunteers, assisted throughout the six phases proposed by the CDCP: diagnosis of dental needs; resolution of urgencies; restorative interventions; application of promotional measures; evaluation of the achieved health level; and periodic controls. Data were collected through clinical exams, which measured the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), gingival bleeding index (GBI) and the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) Index, before and after the CDCP was implemented. Statistical analysis consisted of the Wilcoxon test, at 5% significance level (α = 0.05).
  
  
  
  The OHI-S and GBI indices showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) from the initial (1.4 ± 0.6 and 46.3 ± 19.9) to final condition (0.9 ± 0.3 and 21.5 ± 7.5). The decayed, missing and filled teeth and the missing teeth component were not significantly altered (p > 0.05), showing final values equal to 12.7 ± 9.6 and 5.6 ± 7.8, respectively. Decayed elements were fully converted into filled elements, and the final values of the decayed and filled elements were, respectively, 0.0 ± 0.0 and 7.3 ± 5.7 (p < 0.05).
  
  
  
  The enactment of the CDCP had a beneficial effect on the oral health of the population assisted by the dental services offered in primary care and this protocol seems to ft the public dental service demands.
  
  
  
  The CDCP can be useful to public dental service planning since it showed an efficient clinical outcome to the patients. We consider that this protocol should be employed in primary care oral health services in order to achieve overall upgrade, access enlargement and public oral health promotion.
authors.affiliation: PhD Student, Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, Piracicaba, Dental School, University of Campinas, PO Box 52, ZIP-Code: 13414-903, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil, Fax: +55 19 2106 5295, e-mail: yuri.wanderley@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Yuri Wanderley
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Araraquara Dental School, University of São Paulo, Araraquara, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leopoldina de Fátima
authors.initials: Lde F
authors.lastname: Dantas de Almeida
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Public Dental Service in Primary Care, Unified Health System, João Pessoa, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ailma de Souza
authors.initials: Ade S
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Clinics and Community Dentistry Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wilton Wilney
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Nascimento Padilha
mesh_terms: D003190:Comprehensive Dental Care; D065187:Controlled Before-After Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D005260:Female; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006293:Health Promotion; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006302:Health Services Research; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009909:Oral Health; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011320:Primary Health Care
keywords: Comprehensive dental care; Oral health; Primary healthcare.