This document provides guidance on effective communication in dental practice. It emphasizes the importance of active listening skills like maintaining eye contact, affirming statements, reflecting, and allowing silence. When speaking to patients, dentists should use positive language, avoid dental jargon, clearly explain diagnoses and treatments, and check for understanding without causing undue apprehension. The goal is to gather accurate information, help patients feel heard, and facilitate successful treatment.

1. COMUNICATION IN DENTAL
PRACTICE
Osama Al-Khalifa
ِ‫يم‬ ِ‫ح‬‫ه‬‫الر‬ ِ‫ن‬َ‫م‬ْ‫ح‬‫ه‬‫الر‬ ِ ‫ه‬‫اَّلل‬ ِ‫م‬ْ‫س‬ِ‫ب‬

2. How to start?
Greeting
Open the exchange with a greeting and
always use the patient preferred name

3. Open and closed question
An open question is one that
allows discretion and freedom in
the way it is answered and might
be used to elicit the patient’s
feelings, emotions and beliefs,
letting you obtain the full story as
the patient sees it.

4. Open and closed question
A closed question is designed to
elicit one- or two-word answer and
is valuable when you are
attempting to clarify detail.
Closed questions fall into three
types:
1- an item of detail
2- a choice of alternatives
3- a yes/no response

5. Obtaining accurate information
The initial part of your history
taking will be inevitably be
concentrating upon the
presenting dental concerns of
the patient
An enquiry into past dental
experiences, especially in early
childhood, may have relevance
to present perceptions and
behavior.

6. observe the patient
As the patient give their story,
concentrate upon what they are
saying, the way in which they
are saying it, their corresponding
facial expression and their body
language.

7. Active listening
“People hearing without listening”
The patients need to know that they have
been listened to and that their story has
been heard and affirmed

8. Active listening
Eye contact
Sit in optimum position an establish eye
contact, at the same time allowing both the
patient and yourself of breaking this eye
contact

9. Active listening
Eye contact
Constant eye contact may come across to
the patient as threating and confusing.
Too little eye contact may be constructed as
lack of interest.

10. Active listening
Eye contact
Discretional eye contact allow you to affirm
significant points of the patient’s story by
accentuating eye contact at such points
possibly accompanied by slight nodding of
the head and an appropriate facial
expression.

11. Active listening
Affirmation
Constantly affirm and validate their
statements by appropriate responses such
as reflection of expression, nods of
agreement, para-verbal responses such as
”mmm…..ah-ah..”, verbal responses such as
“ yes, I know what you mean”

12. Active listening
Reflection
Reflection can be effective way of
encouraging the patient to expand their
story, at the same time indicating active
listening and increasing rapport.

13. Active listening
Reflection
For example if the patient says “I cannot
believe that I need some teeth out”, you
might response by:
1- reflecting back the patient’s own words:
“you can’t believe it.”
2- an interpretation of the words: “ I guess it
is too much to take in.”
3- acknowledgement of the patient’s feeling:
“you feel shocked.”

14. Silence
Silence is a valuable tool that is much
underused. The patients may take
considerable time to process a statement or
question you have put to them, possibly
because they are disturbed by it or possibly
because they are upset and struggling to
find and articulate the right response. It
important to allow them time to respond
without barging in with a further question.

15. Paralinguistic features
The way in which you deliver your words will
have a profound impact upon their meaning
to the recipient. Modification in volume, tone,
pitch, inflection and speed of delivery can
have an effect as powerful as the actual
words you use.

16. Always use positive language
Explain what the patients may feel, and not
what they will not feel.
For example the phrase “this won’t hurt”
could be rephrased effectively to “as you
relax, this will feel much more comfortable
for you”

17. Avoid dental language
Use of dental language can lead to
misunderstanding and patients feeling that
you are “talking over their heads”

18. Summarising
You may summaries your understanding of
the patient's symptoms, feeling and point of
view, and the key points of the treatment
proposed. This gives an opportunity for both
you and the patient to clarify any
misrepresentation and misunderstandings.
Your summarising should be clearly stated,
but a slightly questioning tone in your voice
will encourage the patient to clarify their
view.

19. Explaining
Deliver a lucid and coherent
explanation enabling the patient
to under stand their problem,
diagnosis and potential
treatment plan
The explanation should be
clear and easily
understandable, bearing in mind
the patient’s intellect, level of
knowledge of the subject,
emotional state.

20. Explaining
The explanation should:
1- use a series of logical points
2- avoid or explain any jargon
3- repeat and emphasise key points
4- use examples and diagrams
5- give specific rather than vague advice
6- check out the patient’s understanding by
asking for feedback.

21. Forewarning the patient
Dentists will often prepare patients for
potential procedural discomfort with
descriptions of possible pain or undesirable
experience, feeling that this practice is
compassionate and helpful. A recent study
(Lang et al 2005) showed that the effects of
using such language may, on contrary, serve
to increase anxiety and apprehension.

22. Conclusion
A detailed and carefully taken history will
greatly improve the prospect of a successful
intervention.
Information gathered will give you insights
into the patient’s concerns, helping you to
formulate an effective treatment plan

23. Thank you
Questions