Is the negative evaluation of dental services among the Brazilian elderly population associated with the type of service?

Abstract

AbstrAct:This study aimed at identifying the prevalence of the negative evaluation of dental services among elderly Brazilians and at investigating whether the prevalence was higher among those using public or philanthropic provider services than among those paying privately or using private health plans. Additionally, factors associated with this negative assessment were identified. Interview and survey data were collected in the residences of participants by trained and calibrated examiners as part of a national epidemiological survey of oral health conditions of the Brazilian population in 2002/2003. The dependent variable was obtained in response to questions regarding whether the participant had ever used dental services, the frequency of use, and the quality of this service. Potential responses to the questions regarding the quality of service were very poor or poor, fair, and good or very good. The main independent variable was the system of health care used with potential responses being health plan or private, public, and philanthropic services. We conducted univariate (linear tendency χ 2 test) and multiple descriptive analyses, and the partial proportional Odds model for ordinal logistic regression. Among the elderly, 196 (3.7%) evaluated the provided services negatively (very poor or poor). Participants with the following responses were more likely to evaluate the services negatively: those who had used public or philanthropic services, men, those with higher education, the ones who had not received information about preventing dental problems, those who perceived pain in their teeth and gums in the last six months, and those who self-reported their oral health and speech was poor. In conclusion, elderly Brazilian users of public and philanthropic services were more likely than users of private or insurance-based plans to evaluate their dental services negatively, regardless of the other investigated variables.

Assessment of the responsiveness of a public health service from the perspective of older adults

“…Thus, the assessment of these services is considered an essential part in the planning and management of the health system, considering that their improvement is achieved when we have the satisfaction of users as a goal 7,15 .…”

Uso de serviços odontológicos de forma regular na população de Montes Claros, MG, Brasil

“…Essas atitudes podem gerar maior satisfação e consequente uso dos serviços de forma ideal 29 . O sistema de atenção à saúde bucal, sobretudo a prática dos profissionais, promove bons comportamentos de saúde bucal que influenciam tanto no uso formal dos serviços, como na avaliação satisfatória da assistência prestada 10,34 . Vale ressaltar que o conhecimento de saúde bucal pode ter relação com os determinantes sociais, haja visto que mulheres com melhor nível socioeconômi-co conhecem mais adequadamente os cuidados para com a saúde bucal dos seus filhos, bem como são mais frequentemente orientadas sobre tais cuidados 26 .…”

Fatores Associados ao Acesso à Saúde Bucal no Brasil: Revisão Sistemática

“…The perception of oral health has been identified as a predictor of search for dental service with impacts on the services use. This is more evident in self-perception studies of oral health in the elderly concerning the history of exposure to risk factors, reasons for the use of oral health services, self-image, condition to pay for the service 24,26,50 . The age range of children aged less than 5 years old, only 13.3% had already been to the dentist, and only 4.3% had some type of dental consultation until the first year of life 51 .…”

“…To Manhães and Costa 22 the concept is unclear and is related to the customers' adequacy to the health system through a health care guarantee. However, the concept of oral health access has become more complex with the incorporation of aspects that are difficult to measure such as those related to health policy and self-perception [23][24][25][26] . Thus, the restructuring of PNSB 1 may have triggered the interest of research on oral health access focused on the assistential perspective.…”