Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden.
Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Eur J Oral Sci. 2021 Jun;129(3):e12782. doi: 10.1111/eos.12782. Epub 2021 Mar 24.
The aim was to explore the experiences of sexually abused individuals as dental patients. Purposively selected were 13 informants (11 women) aged 19-56. All had experienced sexual abuse as children or adults and memories of this abuse had been triggered and expressed during a dental appointment. They were encouraged to relate in their own words their experiences of the dental appointment. The interviews were recorded digitally, transcribed verbatim, and analysed according to Qualitative Content Analysis. The overall theme illustrating the latent content was The dental appointment - a volatile base requiring predictability and a secure working alliance. The first category covering the manifest content was The dental care provider "assumes responsibility," with two subcategories: (i) contradictory disclosure, and (ii) alliance formation - a levelling of power. The second category was The patient is "in focus," with two subcategories: (i) alertness to signs of discomfort, and (ii) attention to obvious but subtle expressions of needs. On an understanding that the patient has been sexually abused, an individually tailored, patient-centered approach to treatment is suggested. Dental care providers may also need to be aware of and reflect on their position of power, in relation to the patient and its possible chairside implications.
目的是探讨性虐待患者作为牙科患者的体验。选择了 13 名知情者（11 名女性），年龄在 19-56 岁之间。所有人都曾在儿童或成人时期遭受过性虐待，并且在看牙时触发并表达了对这种虐待的记忆。鼓励他们用自己的话来描述他们看牙的经历。采访以数字方式记录、逐字转录，并根据定性内容分析进行分析。总体主题说明了潜在内容是“牙科预约——一个需要可预测性和安全工作联盟的不稳定基础”。涵盖明显内容的第一个类别是“牙医承担责任”，有两个子类：（i）矛盾披露，（ii）联盟形成——权力平衡。第二个类别是“患者是焦点”，有两个子类：（i）对不适迹象的警觉，（ii）对明显但微妙的需求表达的关注。在理解患者曾遭受过性虐待的情况下，建议采用个性化、以患者为中心的治疗方法。牙医可能还需要意识到并反思自己的权力地位，以及这种地位可能对患者及其在椅旁的影响。
