Cumprimento de metas dos Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas da Região Sul do Brasil / Achieving goals set in specialized dental centers of Southern Brazil / El cumplimento de las metas de tratamientos en las clínicas dentales especializadas en la Región Sur de Brasil

RESUMO Objetivo O objetivo do estudo foi verificar o cumprimento das metas ambulatoriais dos Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas (CEOs) localizados na Região Sul do Brasil e fatores associados aos processos de trabalho. Método O estudo foi do tipo exploratório transversal. Para a coleta de dados foram consultadas as bases de dados do DATA/SUS, CNES, SIOPS, IBGE e foi enviado um questionário semiestruturado aos gestores dos CEOs. Para verificar a associação de fatores com o cumprimento das metas dos CEOs foi utilizado o Teste de Kruskal Wallis. Resultados Foram analisados 936 meses de produção ambulatorial distribuídos em 78 CEOs, a taxa de respostas dos questionários foi de 68 % e verificou-se baixo cumprimento de metas e que as variáveis: estado do Paraná, os municípios com porte populacional de 0-50 mil/hab e o quarto quintil dos gastos totais em saúde e PIB per capita foram associados ao cumprimento de metas dos procedimentos de periodontia e o tipo de CEO apresentou associação com metas cumpridas de procedimentos básicos. Discussão As análises das variáveis que podem estar associadas à produção ambulatorial dos CEOs são fundamentais para verificar questões de acesso da população e aplicabilidade dos recursos públicos na área da saúde. Conclusões O estudo sinaliza para o baixo cumprimento de metas dos CEOs, entretanto aponta que podem haver fatores importantes associados a maior número de meses de metas cumpridas.(AU)

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the association of work factors with goals set in specialized dental centers (SDCs) of Southern Brazil. Methodology Cross-sectional exploratory study, in which the databases DATASUS, IBGE, SIOPS were used and complemented with an online questionnaire (FORMSUS). The questionnaire was answered by SDC managers. The Kruskal Wallis test was utilized to determine association of factors. Results Nine hundred and thirty six months, corresponding to 78 SDCs, were analyzed; the response rate of the questionnaires was 68%. It was found that the variables Paraná State, municipalities with population size of 0-50 thousand/inhabitants, and the fourth quartile of total health expenditure and Gross National Product per capita were factors associated with goals achievement of periodontal procedures. The type of SDCs showed association with goals achievement of basics procedures. Discussion Analyzes of the variables that may be associated with outpatient treatment in of SDCs are fundamental to verify issues regarding population access and applicability of public resources in the health area. Conclusion The study indicates low achievement goals by outpatient care delivery by specialized dental centers, which may indicate important factors associated with higher number months for achieving goals.(AU)

RESUMEN Objetivo El objetivo del estudio fue verificar: el cumplimento de las metas de tratamientos en las clínicas dentales especializadas (CDEs) en la Región Sur de Brasil y, los factores asociados a los procesos de trabajo. Método El estudio fue exploratorio transversal. Para la recolección de datos fueron consultadas las bases del datos provenientes de DATA/SUS, CNES, SIOSP, IBGE y fue enviado un cuestionario semiestructurado para los gestores de las CDEs. Para comprobar la asociación de los factores con el cumplimento de las metas de las CDEs se realizó el test de Kruskal Wallis. Resultados Fueron analizados 936 meses de tratamiento ambulatorio distribuidos en las 78 CDEs y la tasa de respuestas de los cuestionarios fue de 68%. Las variables: estado de Paraná, municipios con número de ciudadanos de 0-50 mil/hab, el cuarto quintil de los gastos totales en salud y PIB per cápita fueron asociados con el cumplimento de las metas de los procedimientos de periodoncia y, el tipo II de CDE presentó asociación con el cumplimento de las metas de los procedimientos básicos. Discusión El análisis de las variables que pueden estar asociadas al tratamiento ambulatorio en las CDEs es fundamental para comprobar tanto los problemas de acceso de los habitantes como la aplicabilidad de los recursos públicos en el área de la salud. Conclusiones El estudio indica un bajo cumplimento de las metas de tratamiento de las CDEs, entretanto apunta que pueden haber factores importantes asociados al mayor número de meses en las metas cumplidas.(AU)

Updated competencies for the dental public health specialist: using the past and present to frame the future.

OBJECTIVE: A new set of competencies for entry-level specialists in dental public health (DPH) developed in 2016 updates the 1998 version. Our objective is to provide some context and perspective on this update. METHODS: We discuss the evolution of this dental specialty, how it differs from other dental specialties, and its importance for the public's oral health. Some societal trends that provide the rationale for this update are summarized. The ways in which this set of competencies differs from the last version are described. RESULTS: The first set of behavioral objectives was established in 1974 and updated at workshops in 1988 and 1997. Advanced population-based knowledge and public health perspectives beyond that obtained in predoctoral dental education continue to be essential for the nation's oral health. Since 1998, the impact of the digital age, advances in science and technology, changes in population demographics, health status and increasing inequalities, treatment needs, prevention and treatment modalities, healthcare delivery systems, financing, personnel, legislation, and regulations have all influenced DPH practice. The updated competencies include guiding principles for the specialty, a new focus on social determinants of health, and more flexibility to address the increasing complexity and interdisciplinary nature of public health problems and the expanding knowledge and skills needed to address them. The rapid expansion of public health education might serve as an important pipeline for future DPH specialists. CONCLUSION: The updated competencies can guide the educational preparation of DPH specialists and are aligned with the rapidly changing environment.

A survey of dental public health specialists on current dental public health competencies.

In preparation to update the Dental Public Health specialty competencies, the Expert Panel determined that a needs assessment be conducted. A nine item open and close ended survey developed by the Expert Panel was used to collect data on the Diplomates current work environment, the utility of the current set of Dental Public Health competencies, and to identify any gaps in the current competencies. In 2015, the survey was administered to all active Diplomates of the American Board of Dental Public Health. One hundred and nine Diplomates responded. Diplomates overwhelmingly reported that each of the ten current competencies were still relevant for Dental Public Health specialists in the 21st Century, but needed to be updated to be more contemporary. Domains suggested to achieve this were interprofessional care, cultural competency, health literacy, and evidence-based dentistry.

New competencies for the 21st century dental public health specialist.

The American Board of Dental Public Health (ABDPH) currently recognizes 10 core competencies, which identify the skills, knowledge and understanding expected of all dental public health specialists. The last update to the competencies was 1998. The American Board of Dental Public Health, along with the American Association of Public Health Dentistry and its many partners, initiated a process to revise the competencies. This report presents the process and the new competencies for the dental public health specialist of the 21st century. Each of the developed competencies is supported by a "statement of intent". These competencies take effect immediately. The new competencies will be used in testing candidates for specialty status beginning with the 2018 ABDPH examination.

Acceptance of Minimally Invasive Dentistry Among US Dentists in Public Health Practices.

PURPOSE: Little is known about use or acceptance of minimally invasive dentistry (MID) in the USA, particularly in public health settings. The purpose of this study was to assess opinions concerning MID among dentists in public-health practices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the views of dentists in public-health practices concerning MID using an online survey instrument among National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) and American Association of Community Dental Programs (AACDP) members. Specific questions focused on diagnostic and preventive techniques, and whether MID was considered to meet the standard of care in the US Results: Overall, 86% believed that MID met the standard of care for primary teeth, and 77% did so for permanent teeth. The majority of respondents also agreed that fluoride varnish prevents caries and atraumatic restorative techniques (ART) are an effective caries treatment for children and adults. According to logistic regression results, dentists who had continuing education courses in MID and agreed that ART was an effective treatment for adults were more likely to report that MID met the standard of care for permanent teeth. Subjects who believed that fluoride varnish was effective as caries prevention for children were more likely to view MID as meeting the standard of care for primary teeth. CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be a paradigm shift toward a MID philosophy, and most responding public health dentists believed that MID meets the standard of care for primary and permanent teeth in the US.

Odontología con enfoque en salud familiar / Family health-focused dentistry

El objetivo de este trabajo es proponer la articulación de la salud familiar a la práctica de la odontología, con el fin de ofrecer un modelo de atención más integral que contribuya a la buena salud bucal de los pacientes y que de manera simultánea, desde la consulta, se detecten posibles factores de riesgos en los estilos de vida. Así, los pacientes pueden terminar su tratamiento odontológico con una mejor autoestima, con factores de riesgos controlados o eliminados y con un aumento en factores protectores para su salud; se logra transformar una atención reduccionista en una atención sistémica y holística y formar un odontólogo integral con cualidades humanísticas(AU)

The objective of this article was to put forward the articulation of the family health with the dental practice in order to provide a more integrated health care model that encourages good oral health of patients and at the same time detects potential risk factors in lifestyles at the dentist's. The above-mentioned will allow the patients to finish his/her dental treatment with higher self-esteem, risk factors under control or eliminated, and increased health protection. In this way, it is possible to change a reductionist care into a systemic holistic care and to contribute to the formation of an integral dentist with humanistic qualities(AU)

Have CONSORT guidelines improved the quality of reporting of randomised controlled trials published in public health dentistry journals?

PURPOSE: To assess a) whether the quality of reporting of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) has improved since the formulation of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement and b) whether there is any difference in reporting of RCTs between the selected public health dentistry journals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A hand search of the journals of public health dentistry was performed and four journals were identified for the study. They were Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology (CDOE), Community Dental Health (CDH), Journal of Public Health Dentistry (JPHD) and Oral Health and Preventive Dentistry (OHPD). A total of 114 RCTs published between 1990 and 2009 were selected. CONSORT guidelines were applied to each selected article in order to assess and determine any improvement since the publication of CONSORT guidelines. The chi-square test was employed to determine any statistical significant difference in quality of reporting of RCTs before and after the publication of the CONSORT guidelines. A comparison was also done to determine any statistically significant difference in quality of reporting of RCTs between the selected journals. RESULTS: Title, abstract, discussion and conclusion sections of the selected articles showed adherence to the CONSORT guidelines, whereas the compliance was poor with respect to the methodology section. CONCLUSION: The quality of reporting of RCTs is generally poor in public health dentistry journals. Overall, the quality of reporting has not substantially improved since the publication of CONSORT guidelines.

Qualitative research and dental public health.

The use of Qualitative Research (QR) methods are now getting common in various aspects of health and healthcare research and they can be used to interpret, explore, or obtain a deeper understanding of certain aspects of human beliefs, attitudes, or behavior through personal experiences and perspectives. The potential scope of QR in the field of dental public health is immense, but unfortunately, it has remained underutilized. However, there are a number of studies which have used this type of research to probe into some unanswered questions in the field of public health dentistry ranging from workforce issues to attitudes of patients. In recent health research, evidence gathered through QR methods provide understanding to the social, cultural, and economic factors affecting the health status and healthcare of an individual and the population as a whole. This study will provide an overview of what QR is and discuss its contributions to dental public health research.

The objective and subjective outcome of orthodontic care in one municipal health center.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of orthodontic care in one municipal health center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The material consisted of one age-cohort of 15-16 year-old adolescents (n = 67). Of them, 97% participated in a clinical examination. The final group included in the study consisted of 61 adolescents (91% of the whole age cohort). The occlusions were evaluated applying the Occlusal Morphology and Function Index (OMFI), the Dental Health Component (DHC) and the Aesthetic Component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Moreover, all adolescents filled in a semi-structured questionnaire enquiring about their satisfaction with the function and appearance of their own dentition and self-perceived orthodontic treatment need. They also scored their own dental appearance on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: Of the adolescents, 42% had received orthodontic treatment, while 58% were untreated. All morphological criteria of the OMFI were met by 58% of orthodontically treated and 49% of untreated adolescents and all functional criteria by 67% and 57%, respectively. Treatment need was registered in two of the treated adolescents (7%) and five of the untreated adolescents (14%). Treated adolescents were more often satisfied with their dental appearance than untreated adolescents (p = 0.034). In both groups, satisfaction with the function was high (93%). CONCLUSIONS: Orthodontic treatment seems to improve both occlusal morphology and function. The high satisfaction with one's own dental appearance among the treated adolescents is worth noting.

Organisation and management of public dentistry in Sweden. Past, present and future.

UNLABELLED: Professional organisations present challenges in management compared to producing companies, as control of the work lies within the professional groups themselves. Management in the Public Dental Health Service (PDHS) has an added difficulty in the two-tiered political governance in Swedish public dentistry. The aim of this thesis was to contribute to better understanding of the organisation and management of Human Service Organisations, especially the PDHS in Sweden, thereby contributing to long-term sustainability with due regard to the professionals. The aim was also to point to some future difficulties facing the PDHS and possible solutions to these. Four papers are included in the thesis. The first paper set out to define the professions in dentistry in Sweden from theories on professions. Dentists and, to a lesser degree; dental hygienists were the identified professional groups. The second paper scrutinised the external environment for dentistry in Sweden in the form of political decisions, i.e., laws and regulations. The findings were that there can be a gap between the formal objectives and the factual behaviour from the political level, and that certain politically attractive ideas might reoccur at a later time despite good scientific arguments against them. Also indicated in this paper were ways to influence the political processes, by active participation in the early stages of decision-making The third paper dealt with the heads (CDOs) of the PDHS in the counties and is based on a questionnaire to them on management. It was found that ideas on management and organisation usually were embedded in the way the respective county council was organised. A strong belief in advantages of scale was noted, both for administration and also for dental care itself. The fourth paper compared overall job satisfaction among publicly employed dentists in Denmark and Sweden. A focus on size of clinic, on professional development and on influence at the work place was found to be important. The Danish dentists were generally more satisfied with their overall job situations than the Swedish ones. One explanation might be found in the environment for the respective service, with a much stronger element of competition in Sweden. Another aspect could be that the expectations of the Danish dentists might be more realistic when they entered the public service. In an appendix the history of the Swedish Public Dental Health Service is outlined. CONCLUSIONS: Dentists in Sweden are an established profession and dental hygienists are an emerging profession; they and society would benefit from a clearer delineation and definition of their unique competences. Political decision-making is not necessarily rational, and garbage can models or similar can give a better understanding of political processes. CDOs have a widespread belief in advantages of scale in administration as well as in care, which may pose future problems for the provision of dental care in sparsely populated areas. Overall job satisfaction, as part of Good Work, is founded in an atmosphere at the clinic that is focussed on professional values. It is noteworthy that PDHS dentists not born in Sweden had a lower job satisfaction than those born in Sweden. Perhaps a closer cooperation between the dental colleges and the PDHS might give the newly qualified dentists a more realistic view of the professional challenges in public dentistry, as well as giving the colleges access to the vast material on patients in the PDHS. The future division of tasks between the general dentists, dental hygienists and specialist care dentists has a great impact on the future need for personnel, and needs to be carefully analysed. The future diminishing numbers of dentists and the difficulty for the PDHS to retain dentists may be met by adapting the organisations to a much greater flexibility by allowing different teams to organise their own work. The possibilities to give the patients good service quality will depend on continued democratisation and less managerial control. Producer cooperatives, franchising, or similar, could be revisited and tried. However, such forms will require carefully designed contracts where the objectives and the outcomes are possible to define and to evaluate. The balance between good work for dentists, an efficient organisation and perceived good service to the public will be objects for further studies.

Measuring service quality of public dental health care facilities in Kelantan, Malaysia.

UNLABELLED: This study investigates patients' expectations and perceptions of service quality in public dental health care and measures their "satisfaction gap." This descriptive study involved 481 dental outpatients in Kelantan, Malaysia. A modified SERVQUAL 20-item instrument was used to assess patients' expectations before and perceptions after receiving dental treatment. The "satisfaction gap" was then measured. RESULTS: showed that patients visiting for management of dental pain were more satisfied (P = .007) than those visiting with appointment. The most significant service quality dimensions were related to responsiveness, assurance, and empathy of the dental health care providers. There was a significant difference between the patients' expectations and their perceptions of service provided (P < .01) with regard to all dimensions. In conclusion, dental service providers should give emphasis to the compassionate and emotional aspects of care and to remember that they are integral components of quality service.

Management structures and beliefs in a professional organisation. an example from Swedish Public Dental Health Services.

Work as a dentist is stressful and demanding. In the Public Dental Health Service (PDHS) the heads of clinics' have a great influence on the work environment. In turn the heads have to adapt to the overarching policies on management in each County, which create the environment for the clinics. The aims of this paper were to describe the management structure of the PDHS as described by their Chief Dental Officers (CDOs), and to test hypotheses that the management systems had "a logical administrative structure". A postal questionnaire was mailed to all 21 CDOs,who all responded. Context analysis and bivariate correlations were used. The PDHS employed on average 60% of all dentists in a county. The numbers of clinics for general dentistry in Sweden was 698, and for specialist care 144. The heads of clinics were dentists in 92%. Four hypotheses were tested. 1. separate political board did not lead to closer governance of the PDHS. 2. There was more emphasis on measurable than on qualitative objectives and followup. 3. There was only partial correlation between a larger county and a more formalized management. 4. There was no correlation between size of county and beliefs on advantages of scale. There was a widespread belief in advantages with larger clinics both from administrative, and rather surprisingly, from clinical aspects. Two of the four hypotheses could not be corroborated which indicates that the management structures were more formed by county specific principles. The four hypotheses on administrative behaviour were only partially corroborated. The implications for delivery of care to sparsely populated areas need to be monitored in view of the beliefs in larger clinics. The limits for decisions by management and for professional discretion must be monitored closely considering their effects on work environment and on the quality of care the professionals are able to deliver.

Attributes of an ideal oral health care system.

OBJECTIVES: The sense of urgency concerning the inadequacies of the current U.S. oral health care system in better preventing oral diseases, eliminating oral health disparities, and ensuring access to basic oral health services has increased in recent years. This paper sought to articulate the attributes that an ideal oral health care system would possess, which would be consistent with the principles of the leading authorities on the public's health. METHODS: The authors reviewed policy statements and position papers of the World Health Organization, The Institute of Medicine, The American Public Health Association, Healthy People 2010 Objectives for the Nation, and the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. RESULTS: Consistent with leading public health authorities, an ideal oral health care system would be have the following attributes: integration with the rest of the health care system; emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention; monitoring of population oral health status and needs; evidence-based; effective; cost-effective; sustainable; equitable; universal; comprehensive; ethical; includes continuous quality assessment and assurance; culturally competent; and empowers communities and individuals to create conditions conducive to health. CONCLUSIONS: Although there are some attributes of an ideal oral health care system on which the United States has made initial strides, it falls far short in many areas. The development of an oral health care delivery system that meets the characteristics described above is possible but would require tremendous commitment and political will on the part of the American public and its elected officials to bring it to fruition.

Acceptability of adolescents' occlusion in Finnish municipal health centres with differing timing of orthodontic treatment.

The objective of the study was to compare the acceptability of occlusion among orthodontically treated and untreated adolescents in eight Finnish municipal health centres applying different timing of treatment. A random sample of 16- and 18-year olds (n = 2325) living in these municipalities was invited for a clinical examination, and 1109 adolescents participated. Two calibrated orthodontists blindly examined the participants for the acceptability of occlusion with the Occlusal Morphology and Function Index. The history of orthodontic treatment was elicited by questionnaire. The impact of the history and timing of treatment on the acceptability of occlusion was analysed with logistic regression analysis. The history of orthodontic treatment decreased the odds for acceptability of morphology [odds ratio (OR) = 0.719, 95 per cent confidence limit (CL), P = 0.016] and acceptability of function (OR = 0.724, 95 per cent CL, P = 0.018). The early timing of treatment increased the odds for acceptability of morphology (OR = 1.370, 95 per cent CL, P = 0.042) and of function (OR = 1.420, 95 per cent CL, P = 0.023). No substantial differences were observed in the acceptability of occlusion between the early and late timing health centres. However, the proportion of subjects with acceptable occlusion was slightly higher in the early than in the late timing group. These findings suggest that when examining the effect of timing on treatment outcome, factors other than acceptability of occlusion should be concomitantly evaluated. Consequently, in this context, the duration and cost of treatment need to be investigated.

The quality of reporting of randomised controlled trials in dental public health.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of the reporting of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in dental public health journals. METHOD: Electronic and hand searches were used to search for RCTs published in the following three journals over the period 1993 - 2008: Community Dental Health, Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology and the Journal of Public Health Dentistry. Exclusion criteria were applied. Each of the resulting papers was reviewed and scored, according to 56 criteria, based on the CONSORT statement. RESULTS: The search identified 48 papers. The average number of criteria present per article was 27.0 (SD = 6.9), with variation between journals as follows: Community Dental Health (27.7); Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology (27.4); Journal of Public Health Dentistry (23.2). The average number of criteria present per article increased over the time period used. CONCLUSION: There were inadequacies in the reporting of trials in dental public health journals. The quality of the reporting could be improved if the CONSORT statement was followed more closely.

Strategies for caries risk assessment in children and adolescents at public dental clinics in a Swedish county.

BACKGROUND: Since caries prevalence has decreased and become polarized, high-risk preventive strategies have been widely adopted. The underlying factors leading to assessment and management of caries risk are poorly understood. AIM: The aim of this study was to identify the factors forming the basis for dentist's caries risk assessment in dental care for children and adolescents. DESIGN: From all 3372 children in a Swedish county identified as at high risk for developing caries, a sample of dental records from 432 children, aged 3-19 years, were randomly selected to be analysed in the study. Information about medical and social history, dental status, dietary habits, oral hygiene, and salivary data was obtained from the records. RESULTS: The results show that the only data registered in the majority of the dental records were dental status from the clinical examination and bitewing radiographs. In approximately half of the dental records, medical history and data concerning oral hygiene were registered. Dental history and dietary habits were noted in approximately 25% of the dental records, whereas other risk factors/indicators were occasionally registered. CONCLUSIONS: Dentists mainly base their caries risk assessments on past caries experience, a reliable risk indicator for assessing the risk of being affected by caries again. In children with no experience of caries, knowledge of other risk factors/indicators needs to be available to perform a caries risk assessment. In this study, documentation of such knowledge was strongly limited.

Manual practico del recedimiento del restauración ATRAUMATICA-PRAT / Manual I practice of the recedimiento of restoration ATRAUMATICA-PRAT

El documento complementa tanto al Manual de Normas Nacionales de Odontologia del Programa Nacional de Salud Bucal Dental de Paraguay, como normativa del Programa Nacional de Salud Bucal del Uruguay, pretendiento generar conciencias en las comunidades de la importancia de la salud bucal y su estrecha relación en la salud general reafirmativa la necesidad de incorporar estrategias sencillas efectivas y sustentables

Dental service patterns among private and public adult patients in Australia.

BACKGROUND: While the majority of dental care in Australia is provided in the private sector those patients who attend for public care remain a public health focus due to their socioeconomic disadvantage. The aims of this study were to compare dental service profiles provided to patients at private and public clinics, controlling for age, sex, reason for visit and income. METHODS: Data were collected in 2004-06, using a three-stage, stratified clustered sample of Australians aged 15+ years, involving a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI), oral examination and mailed questionnaire. Analysis was restricted to those who responded to the CATI. RESULTS: A total of 14,123 adults responded to the CATI (49% response) of whom 5,505 (44% of those interviewed) agreed to undergo an oral epidemiological examination. Multivariate analysis controlling for age, sex, reason for visit and income showed that persons attending public clinics had higher odds [Odds ratio, 95%CI] of extraction (1.69, 1.26-2.28), but lower odds of receiving oral prophylaxis (0.50, 0.38-0.66) and crown/bridge services (0.34, 0.13-0.91) compared to the reference category of private clinics. CONCLUSION: Socio-economically disadvantaged persons who face barriers to accessing dental care in the private sector suffer further oral health disadvantage from a pattern of services received at public clinics that has more emphasis on extraction of teeth and less emphasis on preventive and maintenance care.

Evaluación de calidad de la atención odontológica de los servicios de salud adscritos a la Corporación Merideña de Salud en el municipio Libertador del estado Mérida, 2005 / An evaluation of dental care quality of health services belonging to the Merida Health Corporation at the Libertador community, Merida state, 2005

En los actuales momentos el Estado venezolano viene realizando acciones tendientes a disminuir los efectos de la crisis económica y social. Para lograr verdaderos cambios en el perfil de salud, es necesario mejorar la calidad de los servicios a partir de la participación de la comunidad. La presente investigación se propone evaluar la calidad de la atención odontológica de los servicios de salud públicos. Es un estudio descriptivo, por objetivos, con un enfoque mixto y un diseño no experimental, transeccional. La muestra fue seleccionada aleatoriamente. Entre los resultados destaca que la atención odontológica se limita a los tratamientos de: cirugía dental, operatoria dental y periodoncia. No se realizan tratamientos endodónticos y los usuarios con patologías pulpares tienen como alternativa la exodoncia. La evaluación en estos servicios se encuentra limitada al reporte de las actividades realizadas sin la participación de un evaluador externo. El reporte de las actividades, resulta insuficiente para evaluar la calidad de los servicios. Los resultados reflejan una completa desvinculación entre el servicio odontológico y las organizaciones de la comunidad. La participación con la comunidad se limita a acciones puntuales, sin que exista una vinculación orgánica con las organizaciones de base. El mejoramiento de la calidad de los servicios de salud requieren de la incorporación de un modelo de gestión que permita articular las necesidades de la atención odontológica de la población con el desempeño del equipo de salud, la oferta del servicio y la evaluación continua. La evaluación permitirá medir el impacto de la prestación de los servicios odontológicos en el perfil de salud bucal de la población.

Currently, Venezuela's government is achieving some actions intending to diminish the effects of the economic and social crisis. In order to reach real changes in the health profile it is needed to improve the quality of the service starting from the participation of the community. This research intended to evaluate the quality of the service in dentistry offered by public services centers. This is a descriptive study by objectives, with a mixed approach within a non experimental, transactional design. The sample was randomly select. Among the findings it is highlighted that dental attention is limited to dental surgery, operational dentistry and periodonties. None endodontical treatment is performed and the only solutions for patients suffering from pulp pathologies is dental extraction. The assessment of the services is limited to the reports of activities without the participations of a external evaluator. Such a report is not enough to evaluate the quality of the service. The findings reveal a complete mismatch between the dental service and the organizations from the community. The participations of the people is limited to specific actions, without an organic link to the main organizations. The improvement of the quality of the health services requires the incorporations of the management model that allows to articulate the needs of the people in terms of dental attention with the performance of the personnel, the offer of the service and the continuous evaluation. That evaluation will let to measure the impact of the assistance of dental services in the profile of dental health of the population.