The Ministry of Health has extended until June 30 the deadline for the population to participate in the National Oral Health Survey. To date, the response rate is 51.7%. The proposal is to provide an oral health diagnosis, allowing cuts by states, regions, capitals and municipalities, serving as a guide for actions in the post-pandemic scenario.
Preliminary survey results indicate that many Brazilians need to go to the dentist urgently. Among the elderly (65 to 74 years old), 44.9% need some kind of immediate treatment due to pain or dental infection of oral origin. In the range of 35 to 44 years, the need to perform at least one elective dental procedure was identified in 48.4% of the adults examined.
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According to the ministry, attention is also drawn to the high proportion of the so-called decayed component, which means that the person had at least one untreated cavity at the time of the examination.
“The suspension of dental care during the most critical periods of the pandemic is a hypothesis to be studied to understand these findings. In view of these numbers, it is urgent for the Ministry of Health to promote awareness campaigns and incentives for the population to seek dental care immediately. The sooner the problem is identified, the simpler the treatment will be.”
Methodology
The third edition of the survey had been planned to start in 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. Currently, the survey conducts interviews and oral exams in 422 cities, 27 capitals and 395 municipalities in the interior. Children between 5 and 12 years old, adolescents between 15 and 19 years old, adults between 35 and 44 years old, and elderly people between 65 and 74 years old are examined and interviewed at random.
The professionals responsible for the oral health survey visit the residences identified with a vest, bag and badge. In case of doubt, residents can contact the municipal secretariats and confirm the professional’s data. In all, 2,544 examiners, annotators and list takers participate in the research directly, visiting the population and carrying out data collection and oral exams.
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