Performance of the oral health team in home care in the context of the Family Health Strategy: an integrative review

Abstract This is an integrative review that aimed to analyze the performance of the oral health team in home care within the Family Health Strategy, after the publication of the National Oral Health Policy Guidelines. Databases PubMed, Lilacs and SciELO were used in the 2004-2018 period. The selected papers (n=17) were organized in Excel sheet with data: author, year of publication, title, objectives, publishing journal, study location, type of study and thematic category. Two categories emerged from the thematic analysis: “Oral health practices in the household context and the work process of the oral health team” (n=11) and “Instruments for the management and evaluation of home care by the oral health team” (n=6). The scientific production showed low frequency of home visits, lack of prioritization and systematization of home care actions and weak interaction with the family health team. The home care protocols and instruments for the prioritization of home visits indicate the potential to overcome the clinical approach restricted to the dental office. Fourteen years into the publication of the National Oral Health Policy guidelines, the household is a territory to be conquered by the oral health team.