EXperIences of oral health STigma study (EXIST study)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A study to explore how adults experience oral health-related stigma and their perspectives about how to destigmatise differences in oral health status
IRAS ID
343051
Contact name
Janine Doughty
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Liverpool
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 31 days
Research summary
The appearance of the mouth and teeth can impact how people feel about themselves and how they experience themselves in relation to the world around them. In the global West, there is a general understanding that straight white teeth are aligned with success. Research suggests that different appearances of the mouth and teeth (even when otherwise healthy) can cause people to be treated differently). For example a different oral appearance can lead to bullying, perceptions of lower intelligence, impact on relationships and even affect employment opportunities. People may feel embarrassed about their oral appearance, have low self-confidence, avoid socialising and avoid accessing dental services. Little research has explored the concept of oral health stigma.
The aim of this study is to understand how people experience oral health stigma and to begin to understand how we might tackle it.
To achieve this aim we will use mixed methods including a survey and one-to-one interviews to understand how people with lived experience of oral health stigma understand and experience it.
We will interview a variety of people from different ethnicities, genders, ages and who have had different dental experiences (e.g. dental trauma, oral cancer, missing teeth, crooked teeth, genetic dental conditions). We will bring together the insights from these interviews to create themes that summarise the key issues. In addition, we will make recommendations for future research to tackle oral health stigma.
REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/WM/0016
Date of REC Opinion
13 Feb 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion