Public oral health – the main study methodologies used in national and international manuscripts published in the period from 2002 to 2007

Abstract

Literature reviews is an important source of summarized data in the informational scenery that allow a general vision on a specific subject besides evidencing ideas and methods in a certain study area. Objective: The objective of this paper was to make the data obtained through bibliographical survey available, according to the types of methodology used in the national and international literature, approaching subjects linked to the collective buccal health in the period from 2002 to 2007. Methods: The 1373 papers included were classified based on the criteria pre-defined by the authors. Following are the periodicals that composed this sample: Community Dentistry Oral and Epidemiology; Dental Community Health; Science and Collective Health; and Notebooks of Public Health, which were the periodicals that most published the theme mentioned above. Results: The majority of the scientific papers included showed low evidence force, what can be conceived as low potential studies of direct clinical application. Conclusion: Is known that the collective buccal health goes beyond clinical-scientific issues and incorporates social and environmental factors as significant influences in the human beings’ health. For this reason, it has been suggested the improvement and encouragement of methodologies for quanti – qualitative resear ches, as well as the accuracy applied on planning studies related in this context. Key words: Methodology. Dentistry. Impact factor. Community dentistry.