Oral care as a life course project: A qualitative grounded theory study

Abstract

The theory explains why the loss of a single tooth might be experienced as traumatic but also why older people adapt to their changing oral health. Oral health in older age represented a lifetime's investment in oral care. Future health policies should consider this lifetime investment when considering care for older people.

‘I didn't want to pass that on to my child, being afraid to go to the dentist': making sense of oral health through narratives of connectedness over the life course

“…We would suggest further intergenerational research on oral health practices to explore the significance of family relationships over the life course. Although all interviews could be read through the lens of connectedness, family relationships were not always the focus (see Gibson et al ., Forthcoming; Gibson et al , ). We have selected narratives in order to show how connectedness can work as an analytical tool.…”

“…However, several participants who had been employed in professional roles highlighted a disadvantaged background, which became part of their personal narrative of accessing the social world of dentistry (Gibson et al . ). In‐depth, audio‐recorded interviews were undertaken with all participants; 34 in the participant's home, and the rest in cafes or university buildings.…”

“…There were relatively high numbers of individuals with further or higher education who had been employed in a professional or managerial role, and thus we defined the sample as predominantly middle-class. However, several participants who had been employed in professional roles highlighted a disadvantaged background, which became part of their personal narrative of accessing the social world of dentistry (Gibson et al 2018). Indepth, audio-recorded interviews were undertaken with all participants; 34 in the participant's home, and the rest in cafes or university buildings.…”

‘I've got lots of gaps, but I want to hang on to the ones that I have’: the ageing body, oral health and stories of the mouth

“…But then if it became so expensive or I couldn't afford it or variables, usually has to do with the economics, I would have to have false teeth I suppose which I would loathe.While many participants in this study had worked in professional or managerial occupations, the potentially prohibitive cost of dental treatments was noted in several interviews, and two working-class participants recalled not going to the dentist for periods when it was too expensive. Previous research has identified the cost of dental treatment as a barrier to the use of oral health-care services among older people (Borreani et al ., 2010), so it is important to recognise the relatively high socio-economic status of the majority of our participants who did not feel excluded from the social world of organised dentistry and consumer oral care (Gibson et al , in press). Furthermore, working to maintain one's own teeth at a substantial cost, rather than having all one's teeth removed and replaced by dentures, could reflect an intergenerational shift in values.…”

Considering social determinants and the life‐course in oral health research

“…There are a range of interesting papers in this issue but I wish to highlight two of these: Oral care as a life course project: A qualitative grounded theory study , by Gibson, Kettle, Robinson, Walls and Warren; and Developmental regulation of lifelong dental experiences and beliefs in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, by MacEntee, Wong, Chi, Lo, Minichiello, Soheilipour and Mariño . Oral health and oral disease are complex with many factors potentially influencing outcomes including broader social, political and economic factors .…”