Social Science and Dentistry

cover art

Cover Date:
December 2010
Print ISSN:
2040-4263
Vol:
1
Issue:
2

Journey to the dental office: a study of dental illness behaviour exhibited by people visiting government and private dental services in Delhi, India

Objectives: To study the dental illness behaviour exhibited by adult working men attending government dental services and private dental services in Delhi, India, and to explore how, when and why the services are accessed. Methods: A qualitative approach utilising semi-structured individual interviews with 20 participants randomly selected with a primary complaint of tooth related pain or discomfort. Clinic type was taken as proxy for socio- economic status. Informants’ views were recorded on videotape and in notes. The data were translated and transcribed and analysed using Framework Methodology. Results: Three key areas were identified: Initial reaction to symptom experience; explanatory model for symptoms; and primary reason for delay in seeking help. Respondents attending the private dental services were more likely to: respond immediately on experiencing symptoms; make use of alternative systems of care, specifically self-medication; give tooth specific explanations for discomfort. The primary reason given for a delay in seeking treatment was the nature of symptoms. Respondents attending the government run clinics were more likely to: delay responding to symptoms and to seek help from unlicensed dental practitioners; favour non-tooth specific explanations; cite professional commitments as the primary reason for treatment seeking delays. Restricted opening hours of dental clinics during the working day is a key factor for daily or hourly paid workers with few rights. Conclusions: Those with low levels of education, a lack of control over their working environment and living on subsistence pay are more likely to delay seeking treatment and also more likely to use unlicensed practitioners.

Key words: Dental illness behaviour, private dental services. Government dental services

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£
Page Start
69
Page End
76
Authors
M Razdan, A Scambler, S Scambler

Articles from this issue

  • Title
  • Pg. Start
  • Pg. End

  1. Editorial
  2. 56
  3. 56

  1. Dentist-patient communication: how do the models correspond?
  2. 57
  3. 67

  1. Journey to the dental office: a study of dental illness behaviour exhibited by people visiting government and private dental services in Delhi, India
  2. 69
  3. 76

  1. Caregiver’s social relations and children’s oral health in a low-income urban setting
  2. 77
  3. 87

  1. Exploring the concerns and needs of patients with terminal head and neck cancer and their caregivers
  2. 88
  3. 96

  1. Mothers’ understanding of dental-caries related feeding practices and children’s use of dental care in Ajman
  2. 97
  3. 107

  1. Anxiety reduction via brief intervention in dentally anxious patients: a randomised controlled trial
  2. 108
  3. 117

  1. Meeting at the University of Sheffield
  2. 118
  3. 118