Resumo

MOTA, Júnia Nara Gonçalves; WANDERLEY, Flávia Godinho Costa; SILVA, Ricardo Araújo da  e  ALMEIDA, Tatiana Frederico de. Absenteeism due to dental causes: a literature review regarding absence from work and workers' oral health. RFO UPF [online]. 2015, vol.20, n.2, pp. 264-270. ISSN 1413-4012.

Introduction: Public and private sectors have been increasingly interested in factors that cause absence from work, which has led some researchers to further study the relationship between oral health and this type of absenteeism, as companies are also gradually more interested in extending benefits to their employees in order to reduce absenteeism and increase productivity. Objective: To perform a literature review on absenteeism due to dental causes, emphasizing the importance of the role of the occupational dentist in the context of public policies, within the scope of Workers' Health. Methodology: Bibliographical research consisting of a literature review regarding absenteeism and workers' oral health. The present work analyzed three theme categories: Category 1 - Disease vs. Workers' Health, Category 2 - Workers' Oral Health, Category 3 - Absenteeism due to dental causes. Results: It was found that absenteeism due to dental causes presents negative consequences for the quality of life of workers and for the companies, highlighting the importance of acknowledging the expertise of Occupational Dentistry. Final Thoughts: It is noticed, over the years, that although there were efforts to regulate public policies for oral health, it has not been properly covered concerning workers and the professional performance of occupational dentists and their team.

Palavras-chave : Workers.; Oral health.; Absenteeism.; Dentistry..