The quality of any relationship depends on the quality of the communication between the participating parties, and the necessary trust between dentist and patient to ensure a successful treatment outcome cannot be garnered without the establishment of a mutual understanding.
To win the trust of the patient, particularly when the patient is nervous, or perhaps teetering on the edge of refusing to accept an important procedure, the dentist must first demonstrate a frank empathy with the subject before offering sympathetic encouragement. Whilst explanations should always be professionally expressed, patients should not be 'blinded with science' and children, even those apparently determined to show no fear, need special consideration.
Communication skills are at the heart of successful practice and comprise one of the major competencies assessed during foundation level dentistry training. Patient education is generally regarded as a combination of explanation and motivation, and these two elements apply whether the situation involves a complex procedure or a simple exhortation to the patient to adopt a more effective oral health regime. With the widespread public disavowal, or ignorance, of the importance of even basic daily interdental brushing, all dentists have a clear responsibility to raise their game in this area.
Dentistry already has an established track record of engaging teaching aids in the pursuit of patient education, with the emphasis on visual applications. This avenue is now being further developed as software designers exploit the latest technology to create patient and professional educational programmes across the treatment spectrum.
The most advanced practice management software is compatible with the next generation of animated and 3D graphics programmes, which have the dual benefit of removing any complications caused by ineffective verbal communication while using a medium that patients find appealing and easy to understand. These educational programmes exploit the wider public fascination with compelling computer graphics, visual effects and other high-tech imagery commonly used in modern films and home entertainment.
One example of a sophisticated patient education system is Communicator from Carestream Dental, which features a huge range of high definition 3D animated sequences, 'before' and 'after' clinical photographs and editable patient advice sheets. Communicator is fully integrated into R4 practice management software so an extensive menu of treatments and procedures can be displayed at a single click.
Visual aids such as these help clinicians to bridge the gap between the knowledge of professionals and patients with regards to both specific procedures and the general principles of oral hygiene, in a way that is quick, straightforward and likely to have a lasting impact. The programme format appeals to all ages and its effectiveness is increased by the facility for customisation, as well as the ability to print out informative images and data and present the patient with a hard copy to take home as a reminder. Patients can also be emailed the information and animated sequences to keep on file, show to family members or use as reference material when dealing with companies such as health insurers.
Digital teaching aids have a proven record of enhancing patients' understanding and motivation to pursue a more effective dental hygiene regimen, and their scope is constantly widening. It is becoming increasingly evident that they represent the future for patient education across the treatment spectrum, and they are already demonstrating a persuasive impact on the take up rates for discretionary treatments.
The Steele Report, published in 2009, stressed the benefits of preventive care over invasive remedial procedures and underlined the responsibility of dentists to educate their patients in effective oral hygiene. The urgency of the situation is highlighted by the outcome of a recent survey, which found a third of UK adults spend less than the recommended two minutes brushing their teeth twice daily, with many more neglecting interdental cleaning.
All dental professionals are familiar with the difficulties inherent in persuading adult patients to commit to a change in their oral hygiene habits, and hearing the patients' protestations of lack of understanding, motivation or time. Children can be even more difficult to convince, and may simply denounce the advice offered as 'boring'. In some cases the clinician will need to adopt a multi-method 'carrot-and-stick' approach with visual aids providing just one (albeit crucial), element in the overall presentation.
Educational experts categorise the channels for learning as auditory, kinaesthetic and visual. Auditory and visual learning are self-explanatory, and although the expression 'kinaesthetic' may be less familiar to some, it simply indicates learning by performing the required actions. While visual learning is the most effective single medium, the combination of seeing and hearing offers the best chance of knowledge retention. From their very introduction in the 1950s, studies showed that pre-recorded classroom television programmes were an excellent educational resource, with a 1958 report recommending their regular use.
Interactive 3D and animation software effectively represents the ultimate development in televisual education and, with the backing of the dental profession, looks set to play a major role in improving oral health across every demographic of the UK population.
References available on request.