One of the main aims of our Trauma Ambassador Group is to raise awareness and empathy around how trauma can affect us in our day to day lives. Sometimes it can prevent us from accessing vital services because the effects of being triggered by them cause such a significant impact on us.
Dentistry is a service which we know we should access regularly in order to protect our oral health, but some of us often delay due to worries about different aspects of the procedure
For Trauma Ambassador Tina, however, going to the dentist is an issue which is extremely complex and challenging. Here, she shares her story with us.
Please be aware that this account mentions sexual abuse, which some people may find triggering. Do not read unless you feel comfortable to do so.
“I have a diagnosis of complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to childhood trauma and there are many things, particularly medical check-ups and treatment, that trigger off flashbacks and extreme anxiety for me. This means that I am unable (along with so many trauma survivors) to have certain examinations at the doctors, even have a massage, but the one thing that really upsets and frustrates me is that I am terrified of the dentist and therefore have not had any check ups or treatment for 20 years. I have been eating on one side for years, with broken teeth, I have exposed gums and am always on the edge of severe pain when I put food in my mouth.
It would be difficult enough if it was just trying to overcome fear – but in my experience, dentists and dental surgeries have no idea how to treat patients with trauma and in many cases make things much worse by making shaming comments.
When I was 15 years old, I bit on some toast and all four of my back molar teeth disintegrated in my mouth. I was literally spitting out bits of teeth. I took myself to see a dentist for an emergency appointment as I had no parental help to support me and was told that this had happened due to malnutrition. Food was a real scarcity in my household and I had no money. I had to have reconstructions of those teeth with root canal treatment and fillings. From then on, my teeth were weak and crumbly, and whenever I visited a dentist I was scolded for not looking after my teeth.
In adulthood, I would only visit the dentist if the pain was too much and tried to research dental surgeries where they would accommodate nervous patients. One male dentist most recently told me ‘Put it this way – I wouldn’t kiss you’ when I needed a repair to another broken tooth. I have been told ‘not to be so silly’ when I have jumped out of my skin when the dentists chair went back. Frequently I am told that I ‘am a grown woman, how can I be so ridiculous?’ I feel shame and embarrassment, my face burning red. I cannot contemplate even a checkup without having full sedation. Anticipation of a visit will render me terrified for weeks beforehand, even if I am to be sedated because the feeling of coming round is triggering and makes me feel out of control.
Many years later, post diagnosis and now a trained therapist, I still have no solution to this problem but what I do know is that research has shown that people with a trauma history find dental treatment incredibly difficult, particularly if they have experienced oral rape as a child. A little bit of education and understanding from dental staff, and becoming trauma informed would make a huge difference to this silent minority of trauma sufferers, sitting at home with constant niggling pain.
For a start, being aware of the startle reflex in traumatised patients and giving reassurance would possibly put someone at ease and allow them to feel understood. Thinking twice before making ‘smart’ shaming comments and having some concept of how they might feel in such a vulnerable and triggering situation might help. No longer blaming a patient for the state of their teeth and maybe asking why they have got that way? I brush my teeth twice a day and do not knowingly neglect my teeth– but this is always the assumption, that it is my fault. The Healthwatch trauma card can help but so would educating the professionals more about trauma and working in a person-centred way.
There must be many other trauma survivors who have had similar experiences. Isn’t it time to take the power back and to demand more consideration?”
With the UK Trauma Council stating that ‘more than one in three children and young people are exposed to at least one potentially traumatic event by age 18’, it is clear that a significant proportion of people could be affected in a way similar to Tina, and thus not accessing the dental care that they are entitled to. We strongly advocate for a focus on trauma informed oral health services in order to address this health inequality.
If you would like to access support around any of the issues mentioned in this blog, or to share your own lived experience, give the Healthwatch Essex Information & Guidance Service a call on 0300 500 1895, email [email protected] or text/WhatsApp on 07712 395398.
If you would like to find out more about the Trauma Ambassador Group and our work, you can find out more here.