‘I Just Want to Be Treated Like a Normal Person,’ Say Transgender Youth About Dental Care
Published September 2019 | The Journal of the American Dental Association
One of the first studies to examine the experiences of transgender youth with their oral healthcare providers finds mostly positive feedback and areas for opportunity and attentiveness. Youths who identify as transgender report minimal difficulties receiving adequate dental care, but the study identifies strategies for providers to create an environment that is comfortable and safe for the gender-diverse patients and their caregivers, especially around insurance issues, and stress and anxiety related to care.
Pediatric dentist Scott Schwartz, DDS, MPH, says the study grew out of knowledge that transgender youth can encounter discrimination from some healthcare providers. Others are known to exhibit orally detrimental behaviors, including bulimia, to control their weight and body image.
Data was captured in 20-minute interviews with the teen dental patients and their caregivers. One of the biggest challenges was staying vigilant to changing terminology used to describe the transgender population to make sure the researchers were communicating effectively, says Schwartz.
“It is imperative that we provide these patients with a safe place to receive oral healthcare and to promote methods for the best care for their mouths,” he says. “The results of the study facilitated the development of strategies for the oral health team to provide culturally competent care to transgender youth and their families.”
Schwartz was selected to present a pre-conference course on difficult conversations with adolescent patients at the 2018 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Annual Session. Follow-up research will explore two novel topics: the use and impact of puberty blocker medications to delay the onset of irreversible body changes in this population, and preferences for elective oral and maxillofacial procedures to alter their appearance to be more aligned with their gender identity.
