Acesso aos serviços odontológicos por idosos institucionalizados no Brasil: revisão de escopo

Abstract

Objective: To identify and synthesise published scientific evidence on institutionalised elderly people’s access to dental services in Brazil. Method: This is a scoping review, with a search in the electronic databases PubMed, SciELO and LILACS, including publications up to 10/12/24 with no language limit. Studies that addressed institutionalised elderly people's access to dental services in Brazil were considered eligible for analysis. Results: Of the 4,020 articles initially identified, three were selected. These were carried out in Belo Horizonte-MG (n= 2) and the State of Santa Catarina (n= 1) in the first decade of the 2000s. The studies were cross-sectional observational, with a quantitative approach, with data obtained through questionnaires applied to managers and health professionals at Long-Term Institutions for the Elderly (ILPIs). Only one study used the term “access” to dental services in its objectives, while the others focused on “assistance” and “the presence of Dental Surgeons (DS)”. The variables investigated were location of care, presence of DS in the ILPIs, access difficulties and satisfaction with the Unified Health System (SUS). Conclusion: Evidence regarding institutionalised elderly people's access to dental services in Brazil is scarce, revealing the precariousness of access and suggesting filling important gaps in knowledge.