Gidlund Ulrica, Hasselblad Tove, Larsson-Gran Pernilla, von Hausswolff-Juhlin Yvonne, Christidis Nikolaos, Dahllöf Göran
Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Eastmaninstitutet, Public Dental Service, Folktandvården Stockholms Län AB, Dalagatn 11, 113 24, Stockholm, Sweden.
Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
J Eat Disord. 2025 Aug 25;13(1):188. doi: 10.1186/s40337-025-01376-x.
A well-established link exists between eating disorders and oral health issues such as dental erosion, caries, and tooth loss. However, little is known about how to best provide dental care for individuals with eating disorders. Therefore, current guidelines often suggest delaying dental treatment until after medical rehabilitation. This study aimed to explore the dental care experiences of patients with eating disorders, with the objective of finding ways to improve dental care and support for this patient group throughout the disease.
Ten women (average age 36.7 years; SD ± 12.7; range 21-51), all recovered from an eating disorder (median duration of illness 12.5 years, range 4-25), participated in semi-structured interviews about their dental care experiences during and after their illness. Participants were purposefully sampled from a Swedish specialist dental clinic. Using inductive reflexive thematic analysis, the research team developed key themes to highlight important aspects of their narratives.
An overarching theme of unmet dental care needs marked the journey to recovery for the participants. Three major themes were constructed: (1) navigating uncharted territory, participants often felt isolated and lacked guidance from dental professionals on managing oral health during illness and recovery; (2) missed opportunities to build confidence and capability, dental care encounters frequently failed to address individual needs, with shame, cost, and limited support undermining confidence and self-efficacy; and (3) the importance of oral health in rebuilding hope and identity, restoring oral health was seen as vital to recovery, supporting self-esteem and a renewed sense of self.
The study revealed ongoing unmet needs in dental care for the individuals examined. Participants' experiences revealed uncertainty, missed opportunities for empowerment, and the vital role of oral health in restoring hope and identity. Oral health professionals should offer compassionate, precise, and personalized support, integrating oral health into the broader recovery process to enhance confidence and overall well-being for patients with eating disorders.
饮食失调与口腔健康问题（如牙齿侵蚀、龋齿和牙齿脱落）之间存在着已被充分证实的联系。然而，对于如何为饮食失调患者提供最佳牙科护理，人们知之甚少。因此，当前的指南通常建议推迟牙科治疗，直到医学康复之后。本研究旨在探索饮食失调患者的牙科护理经历，目的是找到在整个疾病过程中改善该患者群体牙科护理和支持的方法。
十名女性（平均年龄36.7岁；标准差±12.7；年龄范围21 - 51岁），均已从饮食失调中康复（疾病持续时间中位数为12.5年，范围4 - 25年），参与了关于她们患病期间及康复后牙科护理经历的半结构化访谈。参与者是从瑞典一家专科牙科诊所中特意挑选出来的。研究团队采用归纳反思性主题分析方法，提炼出关键主题，以突出她们叙述中的重要方面。
未满足的牙科护理需求这一总体主题贯穿了参与者的康复历程。构建了三个主要主题：（1）探索未知领域，参与者常常感到孤立无援，在患病和康复期间缺乏牙科专业人员关于口腔健康管理的指导；（2）错失建立信心和能力的机会，牙科护理过程常常未能满足个体需求，羞耻感、费用以及有限的支持削弱了信心和自我效能感；（3）口腔健康在重建希望和身份认同中的重要性，恢复口腔健康被视为康复的关键，有助于增强自尊和重塑自我意识。
该研究揭示了所研究个体在牙科护理方面持续存在的未满足需求。参与者的经历表明存在不确定性、错失增强权能的机会，以及口腔健康在恢复希望和身份认同方面的关键作用。口腔健康专业人员应提供富有同情心、精准且个性化的支持，将口腔健康融入更广泛的康复过程，以增强饮食失调患者的信心和整体幸福感。
