Trauma-Informed Care Practice for Dental Practitioners: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Psychology
• Patient Care Frameworks

Background:

• Trauma-informed care (TIC) acknowledges the prevalence of trauma in patient populations.
• Limited specific guidance exists for dental practitioners on implementing TIC.
• This review addresses the need for synthesized knowledge on TIC in dental settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize existing literature on trauma-informed care (TIC) practices for dental practitioners.
• To identify key themes and concepts of TIC relevant to dental care.
• To inform the development of clinical guidelines for TIC in dentistry.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review methodology was employed.
• Searches included six electronic databases and manual searches from January 1992 to September 2025.
• Twenty-seven papers were included following systematic review guidelines.

Main Results:

• Identified TIC practices were categorized using the 'four R's' of TIC (e.g., safety, trust).
• Recurring themes in TIC relevant to dental practice were synthesized.
• Key concepts aim to inform and improve clinical practice for dental professionals.

Conclusions:

• The review highlights essential TIC themes within the current literature.
• Priorities for future research in dental TIC are identified.
• TIC is recommended as a universal precaution for all dental patient care due to the pervasiveness of trauma.