Organizing the demand for oral healthcare is a big challenge for the oral health teams, because it needs careful planning and requires time and communication with other professionals. The present study aims to describe the organization of the demand for oral health treatment in primary care units in Brazil. In this descriptive and qualitative study, the workflow processes during the demand organization were mapped out according to the information from semi-structured, in-depth interviews with open-ended question; and described using a business process management modelling tool. The care routine was at first described as the “AS IS” model, which was evaluated by the oral team professionals, rearranged, and further described as the “TO BE” model. The model describing the “AS IS” situation was used for a global view of the process to optimize the resources, redistributed tasks and reduced waste and repetitions based on the resulting workflow obtained with the study. It was also taken in consideration the fact that the unit faced a significant increase in the demand of patients due to restrictions offered by the dental service in addition to non-urgent treatments being avoided by patients during COVID-19 pandemic. In the present study, structuring the work processes in a visual way using modelling tools was useful to picture the entire treatment process and adjust when needed. The use of the modelling tool was useful to understand and reorganize the workflow of the demand organization and ultimately improve the efficiency of the resources. The use of such managerial tools helped the oral health professionals to efficiently rearrange their tasks and set priorities to meet their needs. With the use of management tools, each unit can readjust its structures and ways of working, aiming to improve the quality of public health care services provided to patients.
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