Exploring the contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of a torture, abuse and dental anxiety service in Norway: a realist evaluation

Torture, abuse and dental anxiety (TADA) are often precursors to developing a pathological relationship with dental care due to elevated anxiety. Consequently, patients who suffer from one or more of these tend to avoid dental services. This could leave them with severe tooth decay, which could affect their general and psychosocial health. Norwegian dental services have implemented the TADA service to specifically alleviate dental anxiety and restore oral health for the TADA patient group. However, the service has not been evaluated, and there is a need to understand how and why this service works, for whom, under what circumstances. Therefore, this study aimed to develop theories on how the service’s structure alleviates dental anxiety and restores these patients’ oral health. Although developed in a Norwegian context, these theories may be applicable to other national and international contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citation: Bryne, E., Hean, S. C. P. D., Evensen, K. B., & Bull, V. H. (2022). Exploring the contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of a torture, abuse and dental anxiety service in Norway: a realist evaluation. BMC health services research, 22(1), 533.