Oral Health and Public Engagement for vulnerable groups in Scotland

TY - CONF

T1 - Oral Health and Public Engagement for vulnerable groups in Scotland

AU - Rodriguez, Andrea

AU - Biazus-Dalcin, Camila

AU - McGoldrick, Niall

AU - Cairns, Declan

AU - Fancourt, Matthew

AU - Polson, Shannon

AU - Kidd, Evelyn

AU - Galella, Sabrina

AU - Mackay, Moira

AU - Laird, Catriona

AU - Murray, Chris

AU - Mossey, Peter

PY - 2025/6

Y1 - 2025/6

N2 - The ability to understand and engage with people experiencing homelessness in research and clinical settings is a fundamental skill for dentists. This helps to create new ways of co-producing, accessing and sharing knowledge. Engaging with underrepresented groups, communities, policy makers and professionals from different backgrounds is strategically important to generate social change. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions and strategies of ten practitioners from health and third sectors, researchers and dental students in Scotland about 1. The meaning of public engagement with vulnerable groups; 2. The skills required to engage; and 3. The importance of public engagement to tackle oral health inequalities. Online workshops, semi-structured interviews, and reflexive diaries were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. A comic was co-designed to provide insights on creative ways to engage with vulnerable groups. The results revealed that public engagement is about effective communication and meaningful interactions. Essential elements include: leaving the comfort zone of familiar working settings to reach the public where they are, understanding the adversity people face every day, while showing flexibility, respect, patience, empathy and consistent care. It is important not to assume people experiencing homelessness do not care about their oral health. Previous negative experiences with healthcare services and professional stigma act as strong barriers to engage. Key findings highlighted (i) the definition of public engagement is multiple, flexible, not precise, and always under construction, (ii) there are many ways to engage with different audiences, (iii) partnership working and multidisciplinary teams are effective strategies, (iv) research driven by the commitment to engage the public, and to impact on policies and practices increase practitioners’ awareness of different social, political, educational and cultural contexts.

AB - The ability to understand and engage with people experiencing homelessness in research and clinical settings is a fundamental skill for dentists. This helps to create new ways of co-producing, accessing and sharing knowledge. Engaging with underrepresented groups, communities, policy makers and professionals from different backgrounds is strategically important to generate social change. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions and strategies of ten practitioners from health and third sectors, researchers and dental students in Scotland about 1. The meaning of public engagement with vulnerable groups; 2. The skills required to engage; and 3. The importance of public engagement to tackle oral health inequalities. Online workshops, semi-structured interviews, and reflexive diaries were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. A comic was co-designed to provide insights on creative ways to engage with vulnerable groups. The results revealed that public engagement is about effective communication and meaningful interactions. Essential elements include: leaving the comfort zone of familiar working settings to reach the public where they are, understanding the adversity people face every day, while showing flexibility, respect, patience, empathy and consistent care. It is important not to assume people experiencing homelessness do not care about their oral health. Previous negative experiences with healthcare services and professional stigma act as strong barriers to engage. Key findings highlighted (i) the definition of public engagement is multiple, flexible, not precise, and always under construction, (ii) there are many ways to engage with different audiences, (iii) partnership working and multidisciplinary teams are effective strategies, (iv) research driven by the commitment to engage the public, and to impact on policies and practices increase practitioners’ awareness of different social, political, educational and cultural contexts.

KW - Public Engagement

KW - Homelessness

KW - Oral Health

KW - Health Inequalities

KW - Communication Skills

UR - https://www.iadr.org/2025iags

M3 - Abstract

T2 - 2025 IADR/PER General Session & Exhibition

Y2 - 25 June 2025 through 28 June 2025

ER -