The access carried out in oral health services post-COVID-19 pandemic: a temporal analysis of the SIA-SUS in Jaboatão dos Guararapes

Abstract

Background: Aim of the study was to evaluate the access provided, represented by the use of dental services, by users of the unified health system (SUS), in Jaboatão dos Guararapes (PE), during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Time series analysis of data on dental activities and procedures carried out by dentists registered in the SUS ambulatory information system (SIA-SUS), between January and December, from 2013 to 2022, as a way of characterizing the access carried out, a characteristic of use of services. Results: The data reveal that there was a reduction in the supply of dental care in all categories during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the first two years: 2020 and 2021. Conclusions: The data analyzed corroborate the perception that the restrictions imposed on care dental services offered by the unified health system had a negative impact on health services in the municipality of Jaboatão dos Guararapes (PE).