Abstract
Background: There is evidence from qualitative and quantitative studies of the presence of weight stigma in the dental setting from the patient perspective. However, the perspectives of various members of the dental team and their observations and experiences of weight stigma are unknown. Given dental specialists in Special Needs Dentistry (SND) are often referred patients living with severe obesity for dental management, their perspectives are of specific importance, particularly with respect to currently employed and recommended weight stigma reduction strategies. Aims: Our qualitative study aimed to identify and explore among dental professionals and support staff in Australia, their perspectives and experiences of weight stigma. We aimed to identify any currently employed, and recommendations for, stigma reduction from SND specialists. Methods: Focus groups and semi-structured interviews (n = 34 participants) were conducted with two groups; dental professionals and support staff from regional New South Wales; and SND specialists in Australia. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic (inductive) analysis. Results: Key themes emerged related to observed experiences with weight stigma, with differing perspectives based on professional roles. The impact of weight stigma on dental management was highlighted. Stigma reduction strategies with an educational focus were also identified from SND specialist participants. Conclusion: The current study explored observations of weight stigma in various dental settings and perspectives which differed based on participant awareness and professional role. The negative impact of weight stigma on preventive dental discussions was identified. Stigma reduction strategies need to target the identified barriers and address the complex drivers of weight stigma before implementation. The findings of the current study emphasise the role for team-based education, led and guided by SND specialists through their professional advocacy roles and encourages the development of a dental team action plan to respond to observed experiences of weight stigma in the workplace.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 493 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | BMC Oral Health |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2025 |
Open Access - Access Right Statement
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.Keywords
- Dental professionals
- Dental team
- Severe obesity
- Weight stigma
