Brazil's national oral health policy: An example for other nations

Brazil is the only country with more than 200 million inhabitants that has a universal health system, funded by federal, state and municipal budgets. In recent decades, the system has evolved from an exclusionary to a universal model, the unified health system (Sistema Único de Saúde [SUS]), where everyone is entitled to healthcare and the government is required to provide it. Primary healthcare is the backbone of the new system, in keeping with the guidelines set forth by the Primary Healthca...