Looking for a trauma-informed dentist
I have a family member who struggles with their dental hygiene. They're actually pretty good about getting to the dentist a couple of times a year, but their dentist shames them for their lack of a daily hygiene routine every time they visit.
They recently confided to me that they've never understood why they know logically that they needed to take care of their dental hygiene every day, but emotionally they couldn't make it happen, and now they understand after some personal growth work that it's likely tied to trauma and mental health.
They've also come to realize that they really resent the shaming that the dentist's office has done over the years (A 60yo person who has been your patient for the last two decades and who you know comes in for their cleanings a couple of times a year does know that you think floss is important. Stop treating them like a six year old who never heard of floss before!) and they want to make a fresh start with a new dental practice in order to remove that shame component from trying to do their self-care.
Please recommend a dentist who incorporates an understanding of trauma in their care.
Posted Jul 6, 2025, 7:38 PM UTC