Socio-structural analysis of the negative portrayal of dentists in literature and media: focusing on the concepts of ‘Reification’ and ‘Episteme’

Objectives:The aim of this study was to analyze the narrative structures in literature and media (film and media) that negatively depict dentists.To this end, Georg Lukács' concept of 'reification' and Michel Foucault's 'episteme' were introduced as analytical tools.Methods: A qualitative analysis was conducted by four investigators to examine the distorted images of dentists in mass media. Results:The distorted image of dentists was identified to be stereotyped into three major categories: 'The torturer': This image is due to 'phantom objectivity' (reification), formed when dental instruments, rooted in instrumental rationality, are combined with a context of violence.'The womanizer': This image forces a public perception that dentists prioritize private desires and hierarchical power structures over public medical ethics.'The secular professional': This image indicated that dentists are being consumed as tools to dismantle personal medical relationships by aligning their exclusive expertise with capital and power. Conclusions:The distorted representations function as mechanisms that obstruct interpersonal communication between dentists and patients.The episteme formed by literature, film, and drama, which reflects popular discourse, essentially reproduces negative images of dentists.In this study, the negative episteme regarding dentists acquires objectivity in interactions with patients, manifesting as reified relationships, suggesting that there is an urgent requirement for alternatives to overcome this phenomenon.