Understanding Muslim patients: cross-cultural dental hygiene care.
BACKGROUND
Healthcare providers who understand the basic pillars of Islamic beliefs and common religious practices can apply these concepts, anticipate the needs of the Muslim patient and family, and attract Muslim patients to the practice.


OBJECTIVE
Cross cultural knowledge can motivate dental hygienists to adopt culturally acceptable behaviors, strengthen patient-provider relationships and optimize therapeutic outcomes. Trends in Muslim population growth, Islamic history and beliefs, modesty practices, healthcare beliefs, contraception, childbearing, childrearing, pilgrimage, dietary practices, dental care considerations and communication are explained.


METHODS
This paper reviews traditional Muslim beliefs and practices regarding lifestyle, customs, healthcare and religion as derived from the literature and study abroad experiences.


CONCLUSIONS
Recommendations are offered on how to blend western healthcare with Islamic practices when making introductions, appointments, eye contact, and selecting a practitioner. The significance of fasting and how dental hygiene care can invalidate the fast are also discussed.


CONCLUSIONS
The ultimate goal is for practitioners to be culturally competent in providing care to Muslim patients, while keeping in mind that beliefs and practices can vary widely within a culture.
Dental Hygiene Program, Springfield Technical Community College, Springfield, MA 01102-9000, USA. mlsirois@stcc.edu
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Sirois
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Darby
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Tolle
D001294:Attitude to Health; D001519:Behavior; D002648:Child; D002668:Child Rearing; D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D003267:Contraception; D054521:Cultural Competency / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003729:Dental Care; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000523:psychology; D004032:Diet; D005006:Ethnicity; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D016487:Parenting; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D043762:Reproductive Behavior