REFLECTIONS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF THE ODONTOLOGY IN THE BRAZILIAN PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM
Keywords:
Odontologia. Saúde coletiva. Sistema Único de Saúde.Abstract
Odontology in Brazil has been systematically criticized due to its strictly technical approach in opposition to human and social aspects. As well as other professions within public health area, dentistry should be articulated to other social sectors so it can consolidate the building of a new more positive and integrated health concept. This article’s goal is to bring up, thru a literature review, reflections on the context of social dentistry, by discussing three basic subjects related to it: the preparation of the dentistry professional, the social participation and control to the oral health services and the adequateness of dentistry human resources to the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) – the Brazilian public health system.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
In order to play its important role on the transformation process of Brazilian public health policies, dentistry has the challenge of overcoming some obstacles which have, historically, mislead society’s perception of its real importance on the process of building a new health model.