A consciência sanitária e os fatores que influenciam as boas práticas de funcionamento dos estabelecimentos odontológicos do munícipio de Fortaleza-Ce.

Abstract

Health surveillance is considered an interdisciplinary field of knowledge and practices based on the promotion and protection of the health of the population through the implementation of concepts and ethical attitudes regarding production relations, the environment and services. Health education is one of the instruments that health surveillance has for the construction of health awareness among the population, allowing for a greater reach of health promotion and protection. The normative and regulatory functions of health surveillance must act in addition to the educational function. Health awareness has the capacity of stimulating a more careful perception of the professionals in a regulated field in relation to their good practices. Dentistry establishments, as they carry out high-risk activities, are subject to annual health inspection in the city of Fortaleza. This qualitative-quantitative study, through an exploratory and descriptive approach, aims to analyze the degree of influence that factors related to health awareness have on the fulfillment of the requirements of good operating practices required by health surveillance in dental establishments in the city of Fortaleza-CE. As theoretical groundwork for the study, the history of health surveillance in Brazil and of education as a health promotion strategy and construction of health awareness were addressed. A questionnaire based on the Likert Scale, which identifies the degree of influence of the factors related to the good practices of dental establishments, to be applied among the dental professionals responsible for the establishments, was used as a data collection tool. For the analysis of the quantitative data and interpretations of the results, classical methods of Descriptive Statistics were applied; whereas for the qualitative data, an interpretative analysis of the respondents' report was carried out. The results reveal that factors related to health awareness have a greater influence on compliance with good practices in establishments. However, it was found that factors that involve the possibility of financial loss to the establishment were considered an influence on the good practices of said establishment as well. The more experienced dental professionals showed greater health awareness in their good practices. For those surveyed, health legislation is not very demanding and the main difficulty in complying with it is related to costs. It is concluded, therefore, that the surveyed dentists are aware of the importance of the good practices required by the legislation, but find it difficult to maintain them due to the costs related to the activity.