Humanização em odontologia: um estudo híbrido de revisão integrativa e relato de experiência com refugiados

Abstract

Contemporary Dentistry faces the challenge of moving beyond the biomedical model toward a comprehensive and humanistic approach, as advocated by the National Curriculum Guidelines. This study aimed to analyze humanization in dental care as an approach that enhances comprehensive care for refugees in Brazil, considering vulnerabilities, public policies, and professional training. A hybrid methodological design (qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive) was employed, combining an Integrative Literature Review—which synthesized knowledge on humanization, Integrative and Complementary Practices, and access barriers—with an Experience Report of care provided to asylum seekers in Juiz de Fora-MG, through an intersectoral partnership among UFJF, Sérgio Vieira de Mello Chair of Juiz de Fora, and CRAS Norte. The guiding question investigated how humanized practices are applied to overcome access barriers. Data triangulation revealed palliative and structurally deficient application of these practices, highlighting four central findings: language barriers emerged as the primary tension, where the absence of professional mediators forced the replacement of the "qualified listening" from the National Humanization Policy with "non verbal welcoming," limiting care to the solidarity sphere; intersectoriality emerged as the main achievement, validating Teaching-Service-Community Integration models and positioning oral health as a gateway to expanded care; high demand for acute pain reflected severe trauma sequelae, given that 33% of asylum seekers in Brazil report pre-migration violence; the experience exposed gaps in dental education, confirmed by literature indicating curricula that marginalize humanization. Limitations regarding longitudinal follow-up of referrals are acknowledged. It is concluded that humanization transcends individual goodwill, with the contradiction between formal rights (SUS, Migration Law) and structural barriers (language, bureaucracy) being the central obstacle. Oral health for refugees constitutes a political act of inclusion that demands investment in cultural mediators and transversal curricular reform.