Having a damaged mouth with vulnerable teeth, dry mouth and sensitivity | ||
---|---|---|
Historical dimension: refers to participants' dental history, their experience of oral disease overtime | Not having access to a dentist while growing up | “Well I grew up in the country, and we were a long way from a dentist; so, I suppose as a small child, I would have seen the dentist once every 10 years.” ID8, female, 65 years or older, dental caries |
Not being encouraged to take care of my teeth | “In my childhood, I wasn't encouraged to take care of my teeth and so I didn't.” ID10, female, 55–64 years old, dental caries | |
Biological dimension: refers to participants’ experiences of oral health and disease as clinical signs and symptoms | Having sensitivity | "My teeth were quite sensitive; I couldn't eat ice-cream or go out in the cold winter months." ID7, female, 65 years or older, dry mouth |
Having a dry mouth [no saliva] | “I was treated for mouth and throat cancer [radiation therapy], which affected my mouth in a number of ways; it killed off my saliva glands.” ID14, male, 45–54 years old, dry mouth | |
Having teeth breaking off | “I couldn’t chew anything without a bit breaking off and I thought that I was looking at getting dentures.” ID3, female, 45–54 years old, sensitivity | |
Financial dimension: refers to the financial burden of oral disease | Needing treatment at every appointment | “Every time I went to the dentist there was some treatment that needed doing and a cost.” ID7, female, 65 years or older, dry mouth |
Being unable to afford restorative treatment | “I just got so sick of those huge dental bills; I was a single parent…I couldn’t afford to have all the dental work that they were predicting I was going to have.” ID4, female, 55–64 years old, brittle teeth and sensitivity | |
Psychosocial dimension: refers to the psychological and social aspects of participants’ experiences, including patients’ emotional suffering due to oral disease | Feeling disappointed | “It was disappointing that I just kept cracking my teeth.” ID3, female, 45–54 years old, sensitivity |
Wanting to keep my teeth | “I want to keep them [my teeth] until I take my last breath.” ID11, male, 65 years or older, sensitivity and dry mouth | |
Habitual dimension: refers to customary activities related to or consequences of oral disease | Not being a regular visitor to a dentist | “I wasn't a regular visitor to the dentist … dental visits were always prolonged, there was more work to be done because I hadn't taken care of my teeth.” ID10, female, 55–64 years old, dental caries |
Being accustomed to have repeated fillings | “I’ve always had to go regularly to the dentist and have surface fillings put on probably nearly all of my teeth over the years. So, I was used to keep getting more and more fillings.” ID12, female, 55–64 years old, Sjogren's syndrome |