A look at the benefits of implementing behavioural theory into training and patient management.
Dental practitioners today are committed to life-long learning. Not only is this a necessity for GDC registration, but it also facilitates career development and ensures excellent standards of patient care. To make the most of every educational opportunity and to maximise on your investment in your skill progression, it can be very helpful to understand which learning techniques are most beneficial for you.
The psychology of learning
The psychology of behavioural learning theory is a concept that suggests people learn through experience, rather than solely through a reward- or punishment-based model. It advocates for three types of behavioural learning categories, the first of which is classical conditioning. This involves an association between a neutral stimulus and one that evokes a response. For example, Pavlov’s dog experiments found that the animals salivated upon hearing the food cart because they had learned that this noise preceded the provision of food. The same can be applied to humans – how often do specific sounds, smells or items trigger a seemingly automatic response before you have consciously visualised a memory or suddenly feel hungry?
The second category is operant conditioning – the typical reward and punishment-based learning model. This centres around the idea that the consequences of our actions are what drive voluntary thoughts and behaviours. In various papers, Skinner demonstrated the benefits of a reinforcement schedule for learning behaviours, suggesting that the timing and rate of reinforcement influence how quickly and well a skill was learnt.
The third and final category is observational learning. As the name suggests, this is the process by which a person develops a behaviour based on watching and imitating others. The famous Bobo doll experiment by Albert Bandura showed that young children would replicate aggressive behaviour they had observed in adults playing with dolls – and would continue exhibiting these habits even after several months.
Application in dentistry
So, what does all this have to do with dentistry? Well, by understanding how we learn, it is possible to tailor educational activities for the best results. In many cases, a combination of the above categories may be useful for clinicians as they attempt to master new clinical skills, techniques and technologies. Observation of an expert in action is often crucial when first getting involved with a new dental discipline. For example, most clinicians developing new restorative skills or learning to place dental implants will watch an instructor or lecturer perform the procedure as part of their training.
Though less obvious, both classical and operant conditioning may be incorporated within dental learning as well. For example, when practising techniques, a good outcome will be both consciously and unconsciously associated with praise from the instructor or feelings of pride that you will be keen to replicate next time. Similarly, the repetition of clinical sequences will create cues for each step in the process and promote efficiency during treatment. This can be advantageous not only for saving time and streamlining workflows, but also for ensuring a smooth patient experience and minimising the risk of missing a step while new to the treatment modality.
Interestingly, several parallels can also be drawn between professional development and patient learning. Some of the principles mentioned may be useful for patient management strategies when looking at how to improve patient education and compliance. They too may better appreciate oral hygiene techniques if they can observe them first, plus a reward/praise system for anything they do well could further encourage positive behaviours in the long term.
Training for success
The type of training course you choose to acquire new skills will have a significant impact on how much of the above you can incorporate within your educational journey. For optimal outcomes, you need programmes that will enable repetition for skill development, help you integrate your skills within the wider workflow for better sequence cues and provide practical demonstrations for observational purposes.
Several of the training courses supported by the Straumann Group follow these very principles in order to deliver exceptional instruction, support and mentorship for all delegates. A wide variety of topics are available, from orthodontics to business development and dental implantology, with options tailored to clinicians with varying degrees of previous experience in each field. Many offer a blended learning approach to allow flexibility and convenience, as well as being presented by some of the biggest names in their respective disciplines.
Whatever direction you choose to take your career, paying attention to how you are learning and how effective the programmes you select are will help you make the most of your educational investment.
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References available on request.