This study offers help for drawing up a community health orthodontic assistance protocol, especially for the public health system. A preventive and interceptive orthodontic program is suggested through the inclusion of approaches in existing healthcare programs that may help prevent malocclusions, extending the services offered by Basic Healthcare Units to include fitting space retainer appliances and interceptive procedures. Possible occlusion problems are discussed and rated as high or low priority for treatment, stressing occlusal deviations that should not be treated precociously. Preventive and interceptive orthodontic treatment should primarily be offered to children with deciduous and mixed dentition. The management and inclusion of orthodontic procedures can be deployed through the management of physical, human and financial resources, establishing access criteria for these services. The use of an appropriate orthodontic assistance protocol and correct planning of orthodontic actions could pave the way for preventive and interceptive procedures at the Basic Healthcare Units, while more resources could be allocated to setting up Specialty Reference Centers offering more complex corrective orthodontic procedures.
Public health dentistry; Orthodontics; Malocclusion; Deciduous and mixed dentition; Protocol
