ABSTRACT
The concept of childhood has evolved over the years, inspired by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, shifting from developmental models to a conception of childhood that recognizes children as moral agents. This evolution highlights the importance of respecting children's agency and their right to be heard in matters that are related to them. In conventional health research, however, children's voices are often inadequately accessed. In this commentary, we discuss the imperative to recognize children's agency in dental research and a shift from research on children to research with and by children. Moreover, we underscore the importance of actively seeking and listening to children's voices and recognizing their agency in shaping research and healthcare practices in the field of dentistry. Further, we explore the application of participatory research approaches in dental research and provide examples of studies that have involved children in various capacities. We conclude this commentary by emphasizing the potential benefits of participatory research in both qualitative and quantitative dental studies to promote deeper understanding, clearer communication, and stronger advocacy regarding children's interests. Primarily, we call for greater recognition of children's agency in dental research and advocate for more inclusive and child-centred research methodologies.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: One of the most underserved populations among dental patients is the people with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (PNDs). This study aimed to explore the barriers to dental care provision for PNDs from the viewpoint of stakeholders in provision in Iran. METHODS: We arranged a qualitative study based on an individual in-depth, semi-structured interview between October 2019 and February 2020. We interviewed 30 participants using a snowball sampling strategy with three groups: dentists who provided dental care for PNDs, dental public health professionals, and policymakers/managers in dental care provision in Iran. The interviewer used an interview framework based on Levesque's model of patient-centered access. The main question was: "How do you assess the barriers to the provision of dental services to PNDs in Iran?" The data were analyzed by the qualitative content analysis method described by Graneheim and Lundman. RESULTS: From the 30 interviewees (11 women), there were 11 dentists, nine dental public health professionals, and 10 participants who worked as policymakers/managers. They were aged 35-62 years and had working experience between 4 and 25 years. In the content analysis, 60 meanings units were extracted, and later classified into 14 subthemes, and four main themes. CONCLUSION: Four main barriers were traced regarding access, financial, competency-related, and policy-making aspects.