The Dental Specialties Center as a point of attention in the Oral Health Care Network in a region of Paraná

Abstract

The National Oral Health Policy (NOHP) arose as an alternative for the improvement of oral healthcare to all Brazilians. On the perspective of specialized care, Dental Specialties Centers (DSC) were implemented. Aim: The aim of this manuscript was the analysis the role of the DSC for the organization of the Oral Health Care Network (OHCN) in the 20th Regional Health Section (RHS) of Paraná. Methods: It is a qualitative study, which analyzed the role performed by the regional DSC Type III, a reference for 18 municipalities. The data were collected through interviews carried out in the period between March and April 2019. Fourteen professional dentist-surgeons, nine from Basic Health Units (BHU) and five from the DSC were interviewed. For data analysis, speech analysis was used. Results: An active role of the regional DSC was identified in this healthcare region, as it acts as a fundamental point in the strengthening of the network, in the process of regionalization and in the integrality of care. Conclusions: However, the importance of broadening the access to specialized care needs to be highlighted, to guarantee the continuity of care started at the BHU.