Scientific Production in Dentistry for the LGBTQIA+ Population: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Objective: To map, through a scoping review, the characteristics of scientific dental production directed at LGBTQIA+ people. Material and Methods: Text searches were carried out (September 2022) in three databases: PubMed (MEDLINE), Virtual Health Library (BVS/BIREME), and SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online). Data extraction was carried out through the content of the abstracts and full texts. Results: A total of 1,524 studies were found, of which 186 were considered eligible. The results point to the stigmatizing nature of HIV-AIDS among the LGBTQIA+ population, a highlight of the scientific production that is linked to serophobic outcomes. Studies were also found that addressed the precariousness of oral health and inaccessibility to dental services, anatomical specificities, and the risks of contracting and preventing sexually transmitted infections. However, a substantial gap became evident: questions and directions aimed at providing dental care for the LGBTQIA+ population. Conclusion: There is a need to expand the number and scope of research aimed at this population in an attempt to provide evidence for the construction of an effective model of dental care, therefore, integral, collective, and contextualized to the specificities, needs, and demands of the multiple LGBTQIA+ identities.

Keywords

• Sexual and Gender Minorities
• Review Literature as Topic
• Oral Health