Prevention of malloclusions in public health system: reality or utopia?

Vol. 1 – Number 1 – 2008 Research paper Pages 48-53 Prevention of malloclusions in public health system: reality or utopia? Araújo Teixeira* Enzo Angelli Medeiros da Rocha** Halissa Simplício Gomes Pereira*** Ângela Cristina Pinto de Paiva**** TEIXEIRA, Araújo; ROCHA, EAM da; PEREIRA, HSG; PAIVA, ACP de. Prevention of malloclusions in public health system: reality or utopia? 2008; 1(1); 48-53. To worry with the harmonic face growth, correct teeth eruption and implantation for a balanced occlusion must be considered as part of the prevention concept. For that reason, any program that intends health promotion, like Family Health Program (FHP), should comprise preventive orthodontic procedures in its actions. This work have verifi ed, through a qualitative approach, if preventive Orthodontics was performed and understood as integrant of prevention concept in dentistry public services in the Natal´s metropolitan area. Five coordinators of oral health of the FHP of Natal´s metropolitan area constituted the sample and the chosen instrument of research was the half-structuralized interview. For the analysis of the data, it was used thematic analysis of content which generated four analysis categories. It was verifi ed coordinators of oral health do not perceive preventive orthodontics as integrant of the preventive dentistry, being total excluded from that concept and FHP’s dentistry actions. KEYWORDS: preventive dentistry, preventive orthodontics, family health program, qualitative research. * MSc in Social Dentistry (UFRN). Student of the Improvement Course in Preventive and Interceptive Orthodontics at UFRN. ** Student of the Specialization Course in Orthodontics, ABO/RN. *** PhD in Orthodontics and Facial Orthopedics (UNESP / Araraquara). Professor of the Improvement Course in Preventive and Interceptive Orthodontics at UFRN. **** MSc in Social Dentistry (UFRN). Specialist in Orthodontics and Dento-Facial Orthopedics (UERJ). Professor of the Improvement Course in Preventive and Interceptive Orthodontics at UFRN.