Análise da evolução da assistência à saúde no sistema prisional brasileiro entre 2014 e 2022

Abstract

Introduction: The Brazilian prison system houses the third largest prison population in the world. To organize healthcare for this population, the National Policy for Comprehensive Care for Persons Deprived of Liberty was proposed. However, scientific literature has highlighted the lack of access to oral health care for the prison population. Aim: To analyze the evolution of dental care provided in the Brazilian prison system between the years 2014 and 2022. Methodology: Cross-sectional study with data from the National Penitentiary Department Information System (size of the prison population, number of dentists) and the Primary Health Care Information System (primary dental procedures performed from 2014 to 2022). Descriptive analyses (measures of central tendency) and Wilcoxon and Spearman tests were applied. Results: The number of dental consultations and the proportion of consultations per dentist showed statistically significant movements only from 2018 to 2021. The indicator of mutilating treatment showed a positive correlation with the indicators of the number of dentists and consultations, being observed only in 2020 and 2022. Conclusion: The increase in the prison population has not been accompanied by an increase in dental surgeons. Even though the mutilating treatment showed signs of improvement in the early years of the policy, there has been a considerable deterioration in the indicator after the pandemic.