State advances in expanding access to oral health with integrated actions throughout Pará

In commemoration of National Oral Health Day, celebrated this Saturday (25), the government of Pará, through the State Department of Public Health (Sespa), highlights the advances in the provision of dental services in all regions of the State. The state public network offers comprehensive and free care, ranging from prevention and health education actions to high complexity procedures performed in a hospital environment.

Currently, Pará has 1,278 accredited Oral Health Teams (eSB) and 40 Dental Specialty Centers (CEOs) distributed across 30 municipalities, in addition to Mobile Dental Units (UOM), river teams, and specialized services that ensure quality care even in riverside and quilombola communities.

“The government of Pará has a firm commitment to strengthening oral health throughout the territory because we understand that taking care of smiles is also taking care of people's overall health. Even in the face of the logistical challenges of the Amazon, we are expanding access, interiorizing services, and ensuring that care reaches with quality and humanization,” emphasized the State Secretary of Public Health (Sespa), Ivete Vaz.

The state dental network is integrated

The state coordinator of Oral Health at Sespa, Alessandra Amaral de Souza, explains that Pará's dental network is organized in an integrated manner, covering everything from primary care to hospital care.

“We have an articulated and resolutive care model. The citizen is first attended by the oral health team at the basic unit and, when necessary, is referred to a Dental Specialty Center. There, procedures such as root canal treatment, minor oral surgery, periodontics, oral diagnosis, and care for people with disabilities are performed,” highlighted Alessandra.

Currently, 16 CEOs are accredited in the Care Network for People with Disabilities (RCPD), ensuring specialized care, with adequate physical structure and qualified teams. More complex cases are regulated by the SUS and referred to the Ophir Loyola Hospital, a state reference in hospital and oncological dentistry.

Mobile actions strengthen access and prevention

To ensure that care reaches all territories, Sespa has expanded itinerant and intersectoral strategies, such as the “Por Todas Elas” program and the Usinas da Paz. The Usinas da Paz, multifunctional complexes that integrate health, citizenship, and leisure services, have already totaled over 10.4 million attendances since their implementation.

Only in the health area, more than 300,000 procedures were performed between 2022 and 2023, including dental care, supervised brushing, and the distribution of oral hygiene kits. “These actions show the strength of the SUS when it gets close to people. Dentistry is not only in clinics but also in neighborhoods, communities, and riverside regions, with listening, welcoming, and resolutiveness,” emphasized Alessandra Amaral.

The “Por Todas Elas” program, launched in 2024, has already surpassed 170,000 attendances throughout Pará, bringing medical and dental services, exams, and health promotion actions, especially for women in situations of social vulnerability.

Prevention and early diagnosis of oral cancer

Another priority of Sespa is the early diagnosis of oral cancer, with the creation of the State Oral Cancer Care Line, which integrates levels of care and guides the flow of patient referrals. The Secretary also developed and distributed the technical booklet “Oral Health – Oral Cancer,” aimed at Primary Care professionals, with guidelines on warning signs and clinical management.

“Prevention and early diagnosis save lives. We are strengthening surveillance and comprehensive care so that every resident of Pará has access to quick, humanized, and quality care, wherever they are,” highlighted Secretary Ivete Vaz.

Advances and goals for the future

Among recent results, the state network records more than 4,000 dental services performed at the Integrated Center for Inclusion and Rehabilitation (CIIR) in 2024, many under general anesthesia.

Sespa also delivered 43 new Mobile Dental Units, expanding the reach of assistance in remote areas, and strengthened river teams that travel through rivers and hard-to-reach communities.

“Our goal is to consolidate a resolutive, regionalized, and humanized oral health network, aligned with the guidelines of Brazil Sorridente. We are investing in prevention, health education, and valuing teams to ensure that every citizen of Pará has the right to a healthy smile and comprehensive care,” concluded State Secretary Ivete Vaz.