Presence of Specialized Dentistry Centers and the relationship with dental extractions in the oral healthcare network in Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the association between the presence of Specialized Dentistry Centers and dental extractions as a proportion of all dental procedures in public services in Brazil. This was an ecological study that assessed sociodemographic data, oral health services, and outpatient production in 5,333 municipalities in 2000-2001 and 2015-2016. The principal exposure variable was the presence of Specialized Dentistry Centers, and the outcome was the mean national proportion of dental extractions in relation to all preventive and curative dental procedures. Interaction and multiple regression analyses were performed using a binomial model with log link function. The mean national proportions of dental extractions in relation to preventive and curative dental procedures were 27.07% and 15.11% in 2000-2001 and 2015-2016, respectively. In the analysis of interaction between the presence of Specialized Dentistry Centers and coverage greater than 80% by the oral health teams, there were lower proportions of dental extractions in relation to preventive and curative dental procedures (OR = 0.71; 95%CI: 0.71-0.72). In the multiple regression analysis, municipalities with Human Development Index of 0.6-0.7 (OR = 0.77; 95%CI: 0.77-0.77), annual per capita GDP greater than BRL 20,000 (OR = 0.45; 95%CI: 0.45-045), and proportionally higher urban populations (OR = 0.72; 95%CI: 0.72-0.72) showed fewer dental extractions as a proportion of all preventive and curative dental procedures in 2015-2016. In conclusion, there were lower proportions of tooth extractions in municipalities with at least one Specialized Dentistry Center and with a coverage of greater than 80% by the oral health teams, highlighting that municipalities with a consolidated Oral Health Care Network present better performance in the supply of dental care.