IADR Abstract Archives
Dental Staff's Experiences of Patients' Successful Behavioral Changes in Caries Prevention
Objectives: The aim of this interview study was to obtain a deeper understanding of the dental staff's experiences with preventive strategies relevant to successful behavioral change in patients suffering from caries disease.
Methods: To investigate the aim, a qualitative research approach was selected. Nine interviews were conducted, with professional dental caregivers, including dentists and dental hygienists, at eight various public dental clinics in the southwest region of Sweden. The selection of informants was carried out strategically to obtain quality in data. The inclusion criteria were permanent employment, being professionally active within the public dental service, and having clinical experiences in caries prevention. All selected informants gave their informed consent to participate in the study. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed in accordance with the principles of conventional inductive content analysis.
Results: The results revealed a main essence comprising 'Dimensions of interplay during treatment' with three underlying categories; 'Creating an adaptive patient/therapist relation,' 'Implementing new behaviors,' and 'Managing treatment outcomes.' The categories can be understood by subcategories of therapists and patient-management strategies. The informants experience themselves as helpers, and they have a deep belief that caries can be avoided. However, the preventive task is challenging to perform, as it involves implementing long-term individual behavioral changes in patients.
Conclusions: The results of the study point to factors that could constitute keys to successful caries prevention. This is based on the creation of a treatment alliance between the patient and the therapist as well as person-centered dental care.
Methods: To investigate the aim, a qualitative research approach was selected. Nine interviews were conducted, with professional dental caregivers, including dentists and dental hygienists, at eight various public dental clinics in the southwest region of Sweden. The selection of informants was carried out strategically to obtain quality in data. The inclusion criteria were permanent employment, being professionally active within the public dental service, and having clinical experiences in caries prevention. All selected informants gave their informed consent to participate in the study. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed in accordance with the principles of conventional inductive content analysis.
Results: The results revealed a main essence comprising 'Dimensions of interplay during treatment' with three underlying categories; 'Creating an adaptive patient/therapist relation,' 'Implementing new behaviors,' and 'Managing treatment outcomes.' The categories can be understood by subcategories of therapists and patient-management strategies. The informants experience themselves as helpers, and they have a deep belief that caries can be avoided. However, the preventive task is challenging to perform, as it involves implementing long-term individual behavioral changes in patients.
Conclusions: The results of the study point to factors that could constitute keys to successful caries prevention. This is based on the creation of a treatment alliance between the patient and the therapist as well as person-centered dental care.