A dental project helping patients at home in Boa Vista is being presented at a national event on SUS | Roraima

The “Home Dental Care” project, which helps patients who are bedridden and with limited mobility at home, will be presented at the National Council of Municipal Health Secretariats conference (conasemes), in Guyana. The work is being carried out in Boa Vista by teams from the Basic Health Unit (UBS) Arminda Gomes, in the Jóquei Clube neighborhood, in the Western Region.

This year, Conasems is taking place between July 16th and 19th at the Goiânia Convention Center, and also has “The Lacking SUS in Brazil”. This event is considered one of the largest public health events in Latin America.

The “Home Dental Care” project has been developed since 2019 by dentist Mauro Letão. The business arose after the unit’s family health strategy team determined that there were bedridden patients in the area who needed dental care, but with limited mobility, who could not go to the unit.

To meet this need, City Hall acquired three mobile offices, consisting of: an ottoman-style chair for the dentist, modular dental equipment with high- and low-speed suction outputs and a dental compressor and a portable dental chair for patient storage.

The teams have been trained and the number of patients who need help has been surveyed. To help the patient, a preliminary visit is made to the patient’s home, and what is the structure of the home. Items such as power points and lighting are checked so that the work is done safely.

Then the dentist goes to the patient and performs the service. All kinds of procedures are performed as needed. The return schedule is integrated with the family or programmed by the dentist.

“The important thing here is to improve the oral health of these patients, as this is a way to reduce the pain of those who are in bed,” says Mauro Letao.

The role of community health agents is essential. As the first professional to enter the patients home, there is a relationship of trust built with the families.

“Our team is a union for the benefit of the patient, it is very good, we are very united and our coexistence is wonderful. It is necessary to have this love, this emotional view towards the patient, otherwise you will not do a job with excellence like we do, ”said Community Health Agent and Nursing Technician Iorlana Fontinelli.

Currently, the team assists and monitors seven patients who live in the neighborhood’s UBS area, with. The work provides well-being for the patient, in addition to reducing oral infections, reducing pain, and restoring health and self-esteem.

The project will be presented at the 18th Mostra Brasil, here is SUS, part of the Conasems conference programme. In total, 5,280 works have been entered in state fairs across the country.