Challenges to oral health of youth with drug addiction : the dental surgeon’s experience : a qualitative study

Abstract

The person with drug addiction brings a particular set of behaviours and circumstances into the dental setting. The oral health provider on the other hand may encounter many challenges and frustrations in the management of these patients. This study aimed to understand the perceptions and experiences of dental surgeons when providing dental treatment to young persons with drug addiction. The methodology chosen was interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) which is a qualitative method. Data was collected through audio-recorded semi-structured individual interviews. Snowball sampling was used to recruit four dental surgeons with experience treating persons with drug addiction. Data was analysed using IPA. Six subordinate themes emerged: The stigmatization of the young person with addiction: Myths and Stereotypes, The person with drug addiction and his needs as a dental patient, Training of the dental team, Current situation, Challenges of dental care, Possible future changes. The results showed a lack of training on the subject and the necessity for a higher level of awareness to the issues encountered by young persons with drug addiction. Adequate services should be provided for these clients due to their vulnerability. Recommendations for further studies in this topic are required since there is a lack of this locally and there is a need to understand the full extent of these phenomena. The possibility of transdisciplinary clinics where all necessary professionals will fall under one roof to further enhance the needs of this client, should be taken into consideration.