Brazilian primary dental care in a universal health system: Challenges for training and practice.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To report the challenges for training and practice for the Brazilian primary dental care in a universal health system. METHODS: Health, education and protection rights against poverty are guaranteed by the 1988 Brazilian Constitution and public health in Brazil is provided by the Unified Health System (SUS), one of the largest public health systems in the world. According to SUS, every Brazilian citizen has the right to free primary oral health care as secondary and tertiary care, offering a unique opportunity to integrate oral care within general health care. RESULTS: The Brazilian undergraduate Dental curriculum was updated in 2021 aiming to graduate general practitioners with a major in comprehensive health care in primary health care, integrated with public and general health. This curriculum update requires at least 20% of the academic hours to be exercised outside the university walls (extramural or community work), preferably within the SUS. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the World Health Organization (WHO) agenda, Brazil needs to advance the innovative oral health workforce, the integration of oral health into primary care, the population access to essential dental medicines and optimal fluorides for caries control. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It is necessary political action and the engagement of multiple stakeholders, mainly from the health and education sectors, to improve primary health care.