Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Experiences With Culturally Safe Dental Research: A Qualitative Exploration

OBJECTIVES: The engagement and retention of Indigenous participants are critical factors in the success of oral health research, particularly in longitudinal studies. However, participant experiences and perceptions of Indigenous research involvement remain underexplored. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore Indigenous participants' experiences of culturally safe oral health research. METHODS: The longitudinal intervention study involved Indigenous adults who received culturally safe dental care. The intervention included home-based dental checks, flexible appointment scheduling, regular follow-up and financial support for dental treatment at a local dental clinic. Following dental treatment, semi-structured interviews were conducted using a yarning-based approach to document participants' experiences of both the intervention and the study processes. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Four themes were developed from 136 participants' experiences of culturally safe dental research: (1) research and clinical team characteristics including positive interactions with team members and personalised care; (2) participation in a research intervention that breaks down barriers to dental care including home visits, flexible scheduling and financial support; (3) research participation as a means of supporting personal and community health; and (4) a community-driven recruitment strategy that improved trust and retention. CONCLUSIONS: Culturally safe, community-driven dental research centred on Indigenous representation, personalised care and home-based dental service delivery can effectively reduce barriers to dental care and improve engagement and retention among Indigenous participants in oral health research.