Too many dental patients may be self-conscious about their appearance, and that dental shame appears to keep them from seeking timely dental care, according to a University of Exeter in the U.K. news article.
However, shame competence, or recognizing the detrimental effects of shame and supporting patients proactively and implementing training that seeks to compassionately care for patients without judgment can help, according to the study published recently in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.
Dental shame can stem directly from the aesthetic appearance of the teeth or oral health issues. Further, it can result from -- and be worsened by -- broader social and economic factors that influence a person’s ability to care for their teeth and function, such as poverty, trauma, or substance abuse. The effects of shame may not only worsen an individual’s self-esteem, but it can prevent them from seeking timely and beneficial dental care.
“Shame can help explain why some people don’t like to expose their teeth to dentists or tell them they smoke or have a poor diet,” Luna Dolezal, a professor of philosophy and medical humanities at Exeter University and a member of the research team, said in the article. “This can turn dental shame into a self-reinforcing spiral, where shame about oral health can lead to unfortunate oral health behaviours, which can potentially intensify oral health issues and inequities, leading to more shame.”
Often, healthcare providers may unknowingly shame patients, but systemic inequities and healthcare fee structures also contribute to dental shame, the researchers found.
For clinicians, understanding a patient’s hesitancy in seeking treatment and the systemic reasons that further contribute to dental shaming while creating a safe place for patients, where they feel accepted and supported, can help people feel more comfortable seeking dental care early before complications like abscesses or jawbone loss develop, which can lead to additional health problems.
“It is important to have non-judgmental environments where patients feel trustful and empowered to prioritise their oral health,” Dolezal said.
The researchers call for additional research into dental shaming as well as training that fosters trust and communication between patients and providers without social stigmas.
“This involves the fostering of emotional intelligence within workplaces and professional and community-based practice, where speaking about and understanding emotions and their effects becomes normalised and commonplace. In particular, the taboo and stigma that surround shame, and shameful or stigmatised states and experiences, must be directly addressed and discussed openly,” the researchers concluded.
