INTRODUCTION:
The Beveridge and Bismarck healthcare models have inspired universal health systems worldwide. Following the Alma-Ata Declaration, Primary Health Care (PHC) became the foundation of these systems, where oral health education plays a fundamental role in health promotion and inequality reduction. Healthcare models influence service delivery practices, thereby shaping health education approaches in communities.

OBJECTIVES:
To analyze how healthcare systems in five countries influence the provision of oral health education (OHE), highlighting its importance as an intersectoral practice in health promotion and inequality reduction.

METHODS:
This descriptive-analytical study was conducted through a narrative literature review. Scientific articles, official documents, and institutional reports addressing healthcare systems in Brazil, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Cuba, and South Africa were selected. Analysis focused on healthcare system organization, oral health education strategies, and intersectoral practices, examining how these elements contribute to health promotion in PHC and inequality reduction.

RESULTS:
The analyzed healthcare systems present specificities that impact OHE provision. Brazil offers OHE through PHC, but the predominant private oral health sector weakens these initiatives. The United Kingdom provides universal public oral healthcare through co-participation of private practices, which limits OHE since oral health is not fully integrated into public health teams. New Zealand provides public coverage only for children and youth, favoring OHE exclusively for these age groups. South Africa presents sporadic school-based OHE activities. Cuba adopts a community-based model ensuring oral health integration with other team members, strengthening OHE in social spaces and households.

CONCLUSIONS:
Universal systems are fundamental, but effectiveness in oral health requires strengthening educational and intersectoral actions. These systems must include health education as an essential pillar of service provision. By integrating educational programs into healthcare systems, it becomes possible to promote healthy habits from childhood, transforming the epidemiological reality of communities and reducing health inequalities across populations.