{"id":177057,"date":"2025-05-15T03:05:32","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T01:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/forsker-vil-bekaempe-tandskam-og-ulighed-i-tandsundhed\/"},"modified":"2025-05-16T10:14:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T08:14:35","slug":"taking-on-dental-shame-and-inequality-in-denmark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/taking-on-dental-shame-and-inequality-in-denmark\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking on dental shame and inequality in Denmark"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not many people know this, but Denmark is almost worst in the world in terms for inequality in dental health.<\/p>\n

According to Esben \u00d8zhayat, a researcher at the Department of Odontology at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), most Danes have healthy teeth \u2014 but Denmark has a problem:<\/p>\n

\u00bbThere\u2019s a huge gap between those Danes who have good teeth, and those who don\u2019t,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

If you want to see dental problems, just visit an asylum centre<\/p>\n

Odontologist Esben \u00d8zhayat<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It is primarily older citizens or vulnerable groups \u2014 such as the socially disadvantaged or homeless \u2014 who make up the two largest groups with poor dental health, according to Esben \u00d8zhayat. But other groups are also affected.<\/p>\n

\u00bbRight now I\u2019m part of a project where we visit refugees in asylum centres. They have no access to dental care \u2014 not even basic care. If you want to see dental problems, just visit an asylum centre,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat.<\/p>\n

Wants to make a difference<\/h4>\n

Esben \u00d8zhayat\u2019s research field is social dentistry \u2014 a discipline within dental science that focuses on the individual and societal consequences of dental problems and oral health, and on how diseases of the teeth can be brought under control through organised dental care.<\/p>\n

Social dentistry suits him. Every time he spots a group in society that struggles with dental issues, he thinks: \u00bbWe have to do something about their dental health.\u00ab<\/p>\n

It is his sense of social justice that motivates him, and it stems from the compassion he developed growing up:<\/p>\n

\u00bbAt home, we talked a lot about how some people have a tough time. I became friends with many who were struggling, and I learned to be grateful for my own situation. This made me realise I had to give something back to those who suffer. You can\u2019t just leave it to others,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO<\/strong>: Dental divides: Politics and history of teeth on show at Medical Museion<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Dental shame: a disease<\/h4>\n

Working in social dentistry, he is trained not only to understand the barriers to helping others, but also to identify where help is needed the most \u2014 and it’s not always about money.<\/p>\n

\u00bbA new research topic that I and others have delved into is the concept of dental shame. It turns out that while many may think that shame pushes people to visit the dentist, the opposite is often true,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat, offering an example:<\/p>\n

\n

Collaborations<\/p>\n

Esben \u00d8zhayat<\/strong> often works interdisciplinarily with other researchers and has several partners, such as the Copenhagen Centre for Health Research in the Humanities.<\/p>\n

Most of his work, however, is done with his colleagues in the social dentistry research group, which he also leads, at the Department of Odontology.<\/p>\n

His social commitment is also one of the reasons he recently received the Danish Dental Association\u2019s Health Prize for 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00bbIf you visit the dentist and are told to stop smoking and drinking coke, but your social situation leaves you without the energy to change habits, it becomes a downward spiral. You stop seeing the dentist because the demands make you feel worse \u2014 and then your teeth get even worse.\u00ab<\/p>\n

Dental shame can itself worsen dental health if it\u2019s not tackled as a problem \u2014 just like any other disease.<\/p>\n

Esben \u00d8zhayat believes that working with the concept of dental shame in social dentistry can lead to improvements for vulnerable groups. He also hopes it can open the door to new ways to tackle the destigmatisation of various dental health issues.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI\u2019ve already introduced the concept of dental shame to several municipalities, and they adopted it immediately. Elderly residents in municipal care homes are ashamed of their bad teeth, and care staff may feel shame too \u2014 if they want to ask a resident to use dental floss. Staff may fear they\u2019re crossing a line,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

Bad teeth always have a backstory<\/h4>\n

Esben \u00d8zhayat worked as a clinical dentist for 13 years after qualifying as a dentist from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) in 2006. But his sense of social justice led him into research: He felt he could make better use of his talent at the Faculty of Health and Medical Science, and so he left clinical practice in 2019, driven by a mission to see the whole person \u2014 not just their teeth.<\/p>\n

I hope I can inspire students to develop a social conscience<\/p>\n

Odontologist Esben \u00d8zhayat<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u00bbFor me, it’s always about highlighting people who are struggling and insisting that their problems are never just about their teeth. Poor dental health is always tied to all kinds of other life circumstances,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it’s important to look at when dental problems begin: You need to understand the whole story.<\/p>\n

\u00bbFor most people with poor teeth, the problems started many years ago. They developed various health issues simultaneously, which is typical for the socially disadvantaged,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

Black teeth won\u2019t get you a job<\/h4>\n

Esben \u00d8zhayat took part in a project in Copenhagen\u2019s Nordvest district aimed at motivating unemployed people with bad teeth to visit the dentist. The project had a positive effect \u2014 once their teeth were fixed, participants moved closer to the labour market. But dental shame also played a role here.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIf you have ugly, blackened teeth, it becomes a barrier to entering the job market. People are so ashamed of their teeth that they decline job interviews,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat \u2014 a clear example of the link between individual dental health and broader societal issues.<\/p>\n

He hopes that, as a lecturer in dentistry, he can inspire his students to become dentists who also care for society\u2019s most vulnerable when they encounter them in the clinic.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIf I can get some of the students to understand how teeth and society are inseparably linked, then I\u2019ll have come a long way in my mission. Vulnerable people with poor teeth aren\u2019t exactly popular patients in a dental clinic. I hope I can influence the students to develop a social conscience so they\u2019ll care for the disadvantaged,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat.
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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08:32:13","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2400,"height":1600,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dsc_3045esbenboeskovoezhayat_web-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dsc_3045esbenboeskovoezhayat_web-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dsc_3045esbenboeskovoezhayat_web-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dsc_3045esbenboeskovoezhayat_web-1280x853.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":853,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dsc_3045esbenboeskovoezhayat_web-1536x1024.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dsc_3045esbenboeskovoezhayat_web-2048x1365.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1365,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dsc_3045esbenboeskovoezhayat_web-290x193.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":193,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dsc_3045esbenboeskovoezhayat_web-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dsc_3045esbenboeskovoezhayat_web-700x467.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":467,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dsc_3045esbenboeskovoezhayat_web-990x660.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":660}},"style":"extended","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"Esben \u00d8zhayat is a researcher with a social mission \u2014 he wants dental students to pay more attention to the vulnerable."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Social dentistry","text":"This is a story about what will follow","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>Not many people know this, but Denmark is almost worst in the world in terms for inequality in dental health.<\/p>\n<p>According to Esben \u00d8zhayat, a researcher at the Department of Odontology at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), most Danes have healthy teeth \u2014 but Denmark has a problem:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThere\u2019s a huge gap between those Danes who have good teeth, and those who don\u2019t,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>If you want to see dental problems, just visit an asylum centre<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Odontologist Esben \u00d8zhayat<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It is primarily older citizens or vulnerable groups \u2014 such as the socially disadvantaged or homeless \u2014 who make up the two largest groups with poor dental health, according to Esben \u00d8zhayat. But other groups are also affected.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbRight now I\u2019m part of a project where we visit refugees in asylum centres. They have no access to dental care \u2014 not even basic care. If you want to see dental problems, just visit an asylum centre,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat.<\/p>\n<h4>Wants to make a difference<\/h4>\n<p>Esben \u00d8zhayat\u2019s research field is social dentistry \u2014 a discipline within dental science that focuses on the individual and societal consequences of dental problems and oral health, and on how diseases of the teeth can be brought under control through organised dental care.<\/p>\n<p>Social dentistry suits him. Every time he spots a group in society that struggles with dental issues, he thinks: \u00bbWe have to do something about their dental health.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>It is his sense of social justice that motivates him, and it stems from the compassion he developed growing up:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbAt home, we talked a lot about how some people have a tough time. I became friends with many who were struggling, and I learned to be grateful for my own situation. This made me realise I had to give something back to those who suffer. You can\u2019t just leave it to others,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/dental-divides-politics-and-history-of-teeth-on-show-at-medical-museion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Dental divides: Politics and history of teeth on show at Medical Museion<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Dental shame: a disease<\/h4>\n<p>Working in social dentistry, he is trained not only to understand the barriers to helping others, but also to identify where help is needed the most \u2014 and it’s not always about money.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbA new research topic that I and others have delved into is the concept of dental shame. It turns out that while many may think that shame pushes people to visit the dentist, the opposite is often true,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat, offering an example:<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\">\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">Collaborations<\/p>\n<p><strong>Esben \u00d8zhayat<\/strong> often works interdisciplinarily with other researchers and has several partners, such as the Copenhagen Centre for Health Research in the Humanities.<\/p>\n<p>Most of his work, however, is done with his colleagues in the social dentistry research group, which he also leads, at the Department of Odontology.<\/p>\n<p>His social commitment is also one of the reasons he recently received <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandlaegeforeningen.dk\/til-pressen\/nyheder-og-pressemeddelelser\/pressemeddelelse\/2025\/esben-boeskov-oezhayat-modtager-tandlaegeforeningens-sundhedspris-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Danish Dental Association\u2019s Health Prize for 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00bbIf you visit the dentist and are told to stop smoking and drinking coke, but your social situation leaves you without the energy to change habits, it becomes a downward spiral. You stop seeing the dentist because the demands make you feel worse \u2014 and then your teeth get even worse.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>Dental shame can itself worsen dental health if it\u2019s not tackled as a problem \u2014 just like any other disease.<\/p>\n<p>Esben \u00d8zhayat believes that working with the concept of dental shame in social dentistry can lead to improvements for vulnerable groups. He also hopes it can open the door to new ways to tackle the destigmatisation of various dental health issues.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI\u2019ve already introduced the concept of dental shame to several municipalities, and they adopted it immediately. Elderly residents in municipal care homes are ashamed of their bad teeth, and care staff may feel shame too \u2014 if they want to ask a resident to use dental floss. Staff may fear they\u2019re crossing a line,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<h4>Bad teeth always have a backstory<\/h4>\n<p>Esben \u00d8zhayat worked as a clinical dentist for 13 years after qualifying as a dentist from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) in 2006. But his sense of social justice led him into research: He felt he could make better use of his talent at the Faculty of Health and Medical Science, and so he left clinical practice in 2019, driven by a mission to see the whole person \u2014 not just their teeth.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I hope I can inspire students to develop a social conscience<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Odontologist Esben \u00d8zhayat<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u00bbFor me, it’s always about highlighting people who are struggling and insisting that their problems are never just about their teeth. Poor dental health is always tied to all kinds of other life circumstances,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why it’s important to look at when dental problems begin: You need to understand the whole story.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbFor most people with poor teeth, the problems started many years ago. They developed various health issues simultaneously, which is typical for the socially disadvantaged,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<h4>Black teeth won\u2019t get you a job<\/h4>\n<p>Esben \u00d8zhayat took part in a project in Copenhagen\u2019s Nordvest district aimed at motivating unemployed people with bad teeth to visit the dentist. The project had a positive effect \u2014 once their teeth were fixed, participants moved closer to the labour market. But dental shame also played a role here.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIf you have ugly, blackened teeth, it becomes a barrier to entering the job market. People are so ashamed of their teeth that they decline job interviews,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat \u2014 a clear example of the link between individual dental health and broader societal issues.<\/p>\n<p>He hopes that, as a lecturer in dentistry, he can inspire his students to become dentists who also care for society\u2019s most vulnerable when they encounter them in the clinic.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIf I can get some of the students to understand how teeth and society are inseparably linked, then I\u2019ll have come a long way in my mission. Vulnerable people with poor teeth aren\u2019t exactly popular patients in a dental clinic. I hope I can influence the students to develop a social conscience so they\u2019ll care for the disadvantaged,\u00ab says Esben \u00d8zhayat.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with upcoming events and top University of Copenhagen stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":46,"name":"Science","slug":"science","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":46,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":831,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":14,"name":"Portrait Article","slug":"portrait_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":14,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":797,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":672,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dsc_3036esbenboeskovoezhayat_facebook-1280x640.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177057"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":177091,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177057\/revisions\/177091"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}