Dentist-patient Communication Research Articles

Strategies for Effective Dentist-Patient Communication: A Literature Review.

The effectiveness of high-quality dental care predominantly lies on the communication between dentist and patient. However, little literature has reported the importance of these "soft skills" in dental practice. The aim of this literature review is to explore strategies for effective dentist-patient communication. Dentist-patient communication is a bidirectional process involving the exchange of ideas that should be clear (easy to understand), correct (accurate), concise (to the point), complete (with essential information), and cohesive (well-organized). Effective communication empowers patients with the knowledge required to make an informed decision about their own oral health. It not only improves the dentist's efficiency and boosts patient confidence, but also alleviates patients' dental anxiety and fear, addresses patients' needs and preferences, increases patients' adherence, and enhances patient satisfaction. To enhance dentist-patient communication, dentists should take the patient-centered approach as a premise. The approach comprises understanding patients' illnesses, shared decision-making, and mindful intervention at the patient's own pace. In addition, dentists should use simple, succinct language, proper body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact when interacting with patients. Dentists should show empathy, encourage questions and feedback, employ visual aids, and give ample time to patients. Nowadays, dentists and their patients use messaging applications in their communication. This form of telecommunication is not only a convenient way of communication but also reduces the costs associated with a dentist visit. In conclusion, effective dentist-patient communication is vital for the success of dental practice. Dentists who prioritize communication and build positive relationships with their patients are more likely to achieve positive outcomes and foster the expansion of their dental practice.

Performance of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Dental Licensing Examinations

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), including large language models (LLMs), has vast potential applications in health care and education. However, it is unclear how proficient LLMs are in interpreting written input and providing accurate answers in dentistry. This study aims to investigate the accuracy of GenAI in answering questions from dental licensing examinations. A total of 1461 multiple-choice questions from question books for the US and the UK dental licensing examinations were input into 2 versions of ChatGPT 3.5 and 4.0. The passing rates of the US and UK dental examinations were 75.0% and 50.0%, respectively. The performance of the 2 versions of GenAI in individual examinations and dental subjects was analysed and compared. ChatGPT 3.5 correctly answered 68.3% (n = 509) and 43.3% (n = 296) of questions from the US and UK dental licensing examinations, respectively. The scores for ChatGPT 4.0 were 80.7% (n = 601) and 62.7% (n = 429), respectively. ChatGPT 4.0 passed both written dental licensing examinations, whilst ChatGPT 3.5 failed. ChatGPT 4.0 answered 327 more questions correctly and 102 incorrectly compared to ChatGPT 3.5 when comparing the 2 versions. The newer version of GenAI has shown good proficiency in answering multiple-choice questions from dental licensing examinations. Whilst the more recent version of GenAI generally performed better, this observation may not hold true in all scenarios, and further improvements are necessary. The use of GenAI in dentistry will have significant implications for dentist-patient communication and the training of dental professionals.

DENTIST-PATIENT COMMUNICATION AND PATIENTS SATISFACTION WITH PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY TREATMENT AMONG SAUDI ADULTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective:To investigate the relationship between dentist-patient communication and patients satisfaction with prosthetic dentistry treatment among Saudi adults. Methods:This research will employ a cross-sectional study design to investigate the relationship between dentist-patient communication and patients satisfaction with prosthetic dentistry treatment among Saudi adults. Cross-sectional studies are well-suited for examining associations and prevalence in a specific population at a single point in time. Results:The study included 267 participants. The most frequent age among study participants was 29-39 years (n= 113, 42.3%) followed by 18-28 years (n= 62, 23.2%). The most gender among study participants was Male (n= 156, 58.4%) followed by Female (n= 111, 41.6Study participants most frequent educational level was the university (n= 250, 93.6%) followed by the school (n= 17, 6.4%). The most frequent employment among study participants was in other than the medical field (n= 155, 58.1%) followed by the medical field (n= 112, 41.9%). Conclusion: Study results showed that most of the study participants are male. Most common employment was other than the medical field. Most participants were very satisfied with the attention and respect in dealing. In addition, most of the study participants had good social connections.

Evaluation of knowledge and awareness about teledentistry among dentists and patients living in Turkey.

Teledentistry is a field of telemedicine that combines digital technology and clinical dentistry, enabling remote communication between dentists and patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of dentists and patients about teledentistry in Turkey. This cross-sectional study was conducted among general and specialist dentists in Turkey, and dental patients in Edirne, Turkey. A questionnaire prepared in Google Docs was shared virtually among Turkish dentists, as well as administered to the patients referred to the university dental clinic in Edirne. Among the 336 dentists participating in the study, 69.9% were female, 39.6% were working in the profession for 1-5 years, and 48.5% were specialist dentists. A total of 86.9% of dentists stated they would like to use teledentistry for radiological examinations, some follow-up examinations, and for follow-up during holidays. There were 21.1% of dentists who thought that teledentistry practices could be the new standard of oral healthcare, and only 34.0% were willing to try such practices. Among the 447 patients in the study, 49.9% were female, 79.0% were aged 20-44 years, and 54.4% had middle income. There were 74.5% of patients who stated that it would be easier to communicate with the dentist via a teledentistry application, 80.3% of patients in the underserved regions stated it would facilitate access to the dentist, 76.3% of patients stated that it would reduce costs, and 88.8% of patients thought that this method could help overcome the problem of isolation during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic period. Based on the results, it can be said that the teledentistry approach would provide convenience for both dentists and patients in terms of dentist-patient communication, cost and efficiency of dental care.

Acceptance and Usability of an Innovative mDentistry eHygiene Model Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic Within the US National Dental Practice-Based Research Network: Mixed Methods Study.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and other possible future infectious disease pandemics, dentistry needs to consider modified dental examination regimens that render quality care and ensure the safety of patients and dental health care personnel (DHCP). This study aims to assess the acceptance and usability of an innovative mDentistry eHygiene model amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This pilot study used a 2-stage implementation design to assess 2 critical components of an innovative mDentistry eHygiene model: virtual hygiene examination (eHygiene) and patient self-taken intraoral images (SELFIE), within the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. Mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) were used to assess the acceptance and usability of the eHygiene model. A total of 85 patients and 18 DHCP participated in the study. Overall, the eHygiene model was well accepted by patients (System Usability Scale [SUS] score: mean 70.0, SD 23.7) and moderately accepted by dentists (SUS score: mean 51.3, SD 15.9) and hygienists (SUS score: mean 57.1, SD 23.8). Dentists and patients had good communication during the eHygiene examination, as assessed using the Dentist-Patient Communication scale. In the SELFIE session, patients completed tasks with minimum challenges and obtained diagnostic intraoral photos.Patients and DHCP suggested that although eHygiene has the potential to improve oral health care services, it should be used selectively depending on patients' conditions. The study results showed promise for the 2 components of the eHygiene model. eHygiene offers a complementary modality for oral health data collection and examination in dental offices, which would be particularly useful during an infectious disease outbreak. In addition, patients being able to capture critical oral health data in their home could facilitate dental treatment triage and oral health self-monitoring and potentially trigger oral health-promoting behaviors.

Enhancing patient-centred care in Taiwan's dental education system: Exploring the feasibility of doctor-patient communication education and training

Background/purposeImproved communication can optimize treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction. Findings emphasize the need for tailored communication strategies based on patient characteristics. Implementing communication courses can enhance patient-centered care and reduce conflicts. Therefore, this study examined the feasibility of integrating doctor-patient communication education in Taiwan's dental education system. Materials and methodsUsing interviews and questionnaires, we conducted descriptive statistics and generalized linear mixed-effects model analysis on the importance of doctor-patient communication from the dentist and patient perspectives. ResultsMore than 600 patient surveys and four interviewed dentists with 20+ years of experience stressed doctor-patient communication in dentistry. Patients' age and income were positively related to the emphasis on physician-patient communication but negatively associated with dental assistants' communication. Dentists valued communication education but differed in its execution and importance. ConclusionIt is recommended to initiate dentist-patient communication education during university studies and continue its practice to adapt to the changing societal dynamics. Individuals with higher socioeconomic status and older age show a greater appreciation for dentist-patient communication, potentially driven by self-promotion, thereby highlighting the diverse nature of doctor-patient relationships. Based on our findings, we suggest to implement the doctor-patient communication courses in Taiwan.

Influence of educational level on dental anxiety and understanding special medical vocabulary in women

The aim of the study was to determine how well Ukrainian women perceive and understand information provided at the dentist’s depending on educational level, to assess the role of vocabulary on dental-patient communication. Data for analysis were collected by questionnaire from 358 women aged 18–75 years from Poltava and Zaporizhzhia regions. The questionnaire consisted of 19 questions, 5 of which were taken from the Modified Scale of Dental Anxiety, the others were determined by the authors. The obtained results were statistically processed. The respondents’ characteristics in this study are as follows: with higher education (65.6%), with special secondary (25%) and upper secondary education (9.4%). It was found that 6% of the respondents’ have dentophobia; 12% – high anxiety, and 21% – moderate anxiety; 62% – low anxiety. The impact of medical vocabulary on communication is assessed by respondents as "negative" by 30% and "positive" by 28% of respondents. Unfamiliar words cause "more trust" in 60%, 40%, 36% of the participants, "more anxiety" in 38%, 53%, and 56% of women with upper secondary, special secondary, higher education respectively. The level of availability of the words "endodontic treatment" naturally increases with increasing level of education: the option `do not understand` in groups upper secondary, special secondary, higher education has chosen 88%, 76%, 61% of respondents, respectively. To conclude, high dental anxiety level and dentophobia are more prevalent among respondents with special secondary and higher education. Dentists should minimize the presence of medical terms during their conversations with patients, especially low educational patients. These steps should positively affect dentist-patient communication and psychological aspects of dental treatment in total. Keywords: dental care, medication adherence, psychometrics, surveys and questionnaires.

Effective Patient-Dentist Communication with a Simulation System for Orthodontics.

Orthodontic treatment is a common dental treatment. A complete treatment often takes several years and is costly. In order to increase the degree of satisfaction and reduce the gap between the expectations of the patient and the limitations of orthodontics, orthodontists and patients should have sufficient communication. A simulation system can provide a good channel for communication between orthodontists and patients. This paper proposes a 3D dentist-patient communication system for the simulation of orthodontics in advance. The system collects the clinical paradigms of orthodontic cases, which must contain photos from before, during, and after maxillofacial treatment. This research simulates treatment processes by tuning a 3D virtual model of the oral and maxillofacial areas, including the face, mouth, and teeth, to demonstrate the processes of clinical paradigms. These 3D models could be edited and synthesized to generate new 3D models for simulation with the 3DS Max tool. In addition, the proposed system provides a function for the orthodontist to manually operate the 3D virtual model, such as tooth arrangement, morphing of the gums with movement of the teeth, the placement (attachment) of arch-wires and brackets, and changes of facial appearance. The orthodontist can demonstrate the treatment processes, show movements of the teeth, and answer possible questions from the patient about the treatment processes by using the 3D model. To show the effectiveness of the proposed system, a questionnaire about the system was also used to demonstrate its acceptance, usability, and validity. Qualitative interviews with dentists and questionnaires for patients about the system are both performed. The results showed that the proposed system is an effective vehicle for communication between patients and orthodontists.

Evaluation of a digital game for teaching behavioral aspects of clinical communication in dentistry

IntroductionTraditionally, dental students learn the skills for dentist-patient interaction and communication via on-site contact with patients, when they start clinical training. However, preclinical students (who have not started clinical practice) have fewer chances to realize the context of dentist-patient interaction. It has remained unclear if a gamification approach via digital media, i.e., a computer role-playing game, can help to learn clinical communication skills. The intervention-based study investigates the effectiveness of the clinical dentist-patient communication (CDPC) game on students’ motivation, beliefs, and self-efficacy to learn behavioral issues of clinical communication.MethodsFifty-two dental students (Preclinical group) and 18 dental interns and dentists (Clinical group) played the CDPC game, which consists of 16 scenes of clinical context about dentist-patient communication (less than 40 min for playing), via web browsers. Pre-test and post-test questionnaires were used to assess their motivation, beliefs, and self-efficacy to learn behavioral issues of clinical communication. The effectiveness was examined by comparing pre-test and post-test scores within-subject and between-group difference was compared between Preclinical and Clinical groups, via non-parametric statistical tests.Results(A) In the Preclinical group, participants showed a significant increase in motivation and self-efficacy in learning after playing the CDPC game (p < 0.05, adjusted of multiple comparison). (B) In contrast, the Clinical group did not show a significant difference before vs. after playing the game. (C) After playing the game, the Preclinical group showed a significant association between motivation and beliefs (p = 0.024) and between motivation and self-efficacy (p = 0.001); the Clinical group showed a significant association between motivation and beliefs (p = 0.033).ConclusionsThe current evidence suggests that gamification of learning helps preclinical students to understand the context of clinical dentist-patient interaction and increase their motivation and self-efficacy to learn behavioral issues of clinical communication.

Комуникация в денталната практика: пропедевтичен тренинг

Communication can be defined as the process of sharing ideas, experiences, attitudes and knowledge by transmission of symbolic messages. Dental medicine is an area where technical skills are not the only prerequisites for being a good health care provider. Soft skills, such as active listening to the patient, appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication, empathy, and respecting ethical rules are significant in the dentist–patient communication process. Consequently, they influence patients’ attitudes, satisfaction, and ongoing health-related behaviour. Therefore, a training course on communication skills has been introduced at the Faculty of Dental Medicine of the Medical University in Sofia. The aim is to improve students’ soft skills, and to form a behavioural design pattern concerning dentist–patient interactions.

Patient satisfaction over changing dental treatment trends during COVID-19 pandemic-a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Patient satisfaction in health care describes the degree to which patients' needs 'meet their expectations and provide an acceptable standard of care'. Therefore, their opinion should be incorporated to understand factors affecting patients' satisfaction with the health-care setting. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant challenge for the field of dentistry owing to its working characteristics. It is difficult for dentists to provide optimum satisfaction to patients receiving dental care with such changes proposed. A study aiming to evaluate the patient's satisfaction receiving treatment in the Department of Dentistry during the pandemic was planned. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study from September to November 2020 was conducted. A self-administered printed questionnaire drafted in English/Gujarati was provided to 225 patients on completion of their dental treatment. Thirteen close-ended questions were included in determining the patient's satisfaction. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to describe the parameters of the questionnaire. The Chi-square test was used to find a significant association between parameters, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: About 74.3% of the participants were satisfied with dentist–patient communication. Positive response (80%) by patients where they were able to get an appointment as per their suitability and were informed in advance by the department if there were any changes. One hundred and sixty-eight (84%) patients responded that the waiting area was hygienic. One hundred and thirty-seven (68.5%) patients assured that their arrival was intimated to the respective dentist by supporting staff and that they were taken into an operatory for treatment within 10 min of arrival. Participants said that they were informed about the delay from their allotted appointment schedule with reasons; hence, better compliance (79%) was obtained from them. Conclusions: This cross-sectional study indicated that with proper communication, a positive response by participants over satisfaction was obtained even due to changing treatment patterns due to pandemic.

Dental Patient-Reported Outcomes Update 2021

Patients' needs and preferences have long been one of the three essential elements of evidence-based dentistry. However, in most areas of dental research, the voices of dental patients have been overlooked, resulting in findings with limited value for dental practice and a high level of avoidable research waste. Previous studies have shown that the appropriate use of dental patient-reported outcomes (dPROs) is essential for dental research to fully reflect the impact of oral diseases or oral health care on patients and to directly support dentist-patient communication. Therefore, the Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice decided to put together this Special Issue, to further promote the wide use of dPROs and to provide novel insights into the measurement and analytical methods for dPROs. This article briefly introduces the manuscripts contained in this issue, which cover a wide range of topics: standardization of dPRO-related methodology; current usage of dPROs in published research; significance and relevance of dPROs usage; identification of dPROs in the evidence; as well as dPROs and value-based oral health care.

Denture Satisfaction – The Most Wanted Key to Successful Complete Denture Therapy.

Abstract:&#x0D; Background: The dilemma of patient satisfaction vs. non-satisfaction with dentures is another never-ending debate in dentistry. The fabrication of optimal dentures is possible with appropriate prosthetic laboratory techniques along with patients’ anatomic and physiologic requirements assessed by a dentist.&#x0D; Aim : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patient’s priority and mean satisfaction scores of the patient and dentist during complete denture therapy.&#x0D; Material and methods: After selecting the subjects based on decided inclusion and exclusion criteria, the patients were asked to fill the proforma with VAS. The proforma contained a questionnaire. The patients rated their dentures using a scale ranging from 1-5.&#x0D; Results: According to the patient’s priority the majority of the patients preferred mastication. The highest mean dentist satisfaction score was concerned with the extension of a denture. There was no statistically significant difference with age and gender for mean denture assessment, aesthetic, phonetics, mastication and comfort satisfaction score. However, the employed patients have aesthetic, phonetics and mastication satisfaction score higher than unemployed patients and the relationship was statistically significant.&#x0D; Conclusion: Majority of the patients was concerned with better chewing function with their dentures. Age and gender do not affect patient satisfaction. However, employed patients were less satisfied with their dentures as compare to unemployed patients. In addition, patients who were educated had better phonetics with their dentures as compare to uneducated patients. Strong dentist-patient communication is necessary to be able to satisfy a patient.&#x0D; Keywords: Complete denture, Satisfaction, Patient communication&#x0D; &#x0D;

Enhancing patient-centred communication across barriers: The case of intersubjectivity management in medical interpreting

ObjectiveThis study introduces the concept of intersubjectivity management in medical interpreting and identifies relevant interactional strategies employed by the interpreter, also explores their effectiveness in facilitating positive clinician-patient communication. MethodsWe used conversation analysis (CA) to analyse 27 video recordings of interpreter-mediated dental visits, participants involve English-speaking dentists, Cantonese as the first language (L1) patients and bilingual dental surgery assistants (DSA) who also play the role of ad hoc interpreters. ResultsThe DSA-as-interpreter manages intersubjectivity for the dentist and patient through interactional strategies, such as reformulating action types, redesigning contents and information capacity, summarising and concentrating turns, constantly monitoring the situation and eliciting spoken or unspoken expressions that are medically relevant from both sides to validate them. The strategies effectively enabled and enhanced the mutual understanding and interpersonal alignment between the dentist and patient. More importantly, the DSA constantly orients to patient-centred communication. ConclusionAlthough not professionally trained for interpreting, the DSA-as-interpreters demonstrated discursive strategies. The strategies evidently facilitated positive dentist-patient communication and relationships. Practice ImplicationsThe conceptualisation and significant strategies demonstrated by the DSA-as-interpreters could potentially inform the solution of enhancing multilingual health communication in clinical staff training.

Assessment of an Innovative Mobile Dentistry eHygiene Model Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network: Protocol for Design, Implementation, and Usability Testing.

BackgroundAmid COVID-19, and other possible future infectious disease pandemics, dentistry needs to consider modified dental examination regimens that render quality care, are cost effective, and ensure the safety of patients and dental health care personnel (DHCP). Traditional dental examinations, which number more than 300 million per year in the United States, rely on person-to-person tactile examinations, pose challenges to infection control, and consume large quantities of advanced-level personal protective equipment (PPE). Therefore, our long-term goal is to develop an innovative mobile dentistry (mDent) model that takes these issues into account. This model supplements the traditional dental practice with virtual visits, supported by mobile devices such as mobile telephones, tablets, and wireless infrastructure. The mDent model leverages the advantages of digital mobile health (mHealth) tools such as intraoral cameras to deliver virtual oral examinations, treatment planning, and interactive oral health management, on a broad population basis. Conversion of the traditional dental examinations to mDent virtual examinations builds upon (1) the reliability of teledentistry, which uses intraoral photos and live videos to make diagnostic decisions, and (2) rapid advancement in mHealth tool utilization.ObjectiveIn this pilot project, we designed a 2-stage implementation study to assess 2 critical components of the mDent model: virtual hygiene examination (eHygiene) and patient self-taken intraoral photos (SELFIE). Our specific aims are to (1) assess the acceptance and barriers of mDent eHygiene among patients and DHCP, (2) assess the economic impact of mDent eHygiene, and (3) assess the patient’s capability to generate intraoral photos using mHealth tools (exploratory aim, SELFIE).MethodsThis study will access the rich resources of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network to recruit 12 dentists, 12 hygienists, and 144 patients from 12 practices. For aims 1 and 2, we will use role-specific questionnaires to collect quantitative data on eHygiene acceptance and economic impact. The questionnaire components include participant characteristics, the System Usability Scale, a dentist-patient communication scale, practice operation cost, and patient opportunity cost. We will further conduct a series of iterative qualitative research activities using individual interviews to further elicit feedback and suggestion for changes to the mDent eHygiene model. For aim 3, we will use mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) to assess the patient’s capability of taking intraoral photos, by analyzing obtained photos and recorded videos.ResultsThe study is supported by the US National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. This study received “single” institutional review board approval in August 2021. Data collection and analysis are expected to conclude by December 2021 and March 2022, respectively.ConclusionsThe study results will inform the logistics of conducting virtual dental examinations and empowering patients with mHealth tools, providing better safety and preserving PPE amid the COVID-19 and possible future pandemics.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/32345

Dentist-patient communication on dental anxiety using the social media: A randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of dentist-patient communication via social media on dental anxiety and to determine the appropriate timing of such communications. In this randomized, double-blinded and controlled trial, we used Instagram's quick replies system to answer patients' questions to alleviate dental anxiety for patients undergoing impacted teeth extraction under local anesthesia. Patients were assigned randomly into four groups according to the timing of such communications: only after (group 1, n = 36), only before (group 2, n = 35), before and after the operation (group 3, n = 36), and a control group who received no communication on social media (group 4, n = 36). Dental anxiety was evaluated one week before (pre-op) and after the operation (post-op) using recognized assessment scales -the Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The results showed that the post-op values of group 4 had higher anxiety scores than the groups 2 and 3 according to VAS (p < 0.05). Within the groups, the anxiety levels showed a decreasing trend after surgery according to MDAS and VAS scores (p < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that communication with patients before the operation is sufficient to reduce their dental anxiety.

Complete denture parameters reflecting the satisfaction of dentists and patients

Background/Aim. Patients? expectations with regard to their complete dentures are usually high. It is quite challenging to meet the patient?s criteria for denture satisfaction. Moreover, it also becomes a challenging task when the patient?s expectation exceeds the patient?s satisfaction regardless of the denture quality. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation in the denture satisfaction levels between the dentist and complete denture wearers. Methods. The study included 134 completely edentulous participants, between 48 and 65 years of age. The data were recorded through a validated questionnaire having a Cronbach ? validity of 85%. Sociodemographic data, patients? priorities, dentists' and patients' satisfaction with the dentures were recorded and rated on a Likert scale (1 to 5). Spearman?s correlation was applied to measure the similarity between the dentist?s and patient?s satisfaction score. Results. The mean dentists' and patients' overall satisfaction scores were calculated as 3.58 ? 0.74 and 3.538 ? 0.521, respectively. Participants ? 60 years of age and females showed a higher correlation than younger patients and men, while the employed participants showed a stronger correlation between dentist?s and patient?s satisfaction, compared to the opposite. In the educated participants a positive, moderate correlation between dentist's and patient's satisfaction was shown. The correlation between dentist?s satisfaction with occlusion and patient?s satisfaction with comfort was moderately strong (p &lt; 0.05); weakly positive correlation (p &lt; 0.05) was found between dentist?s satisfaction with the quality of denture and extension and patient?s satisfaction with aesthetics, mastication, phonetics, and comfort. Conclusion. A positive correlation between the dentists' and patients' satisfaction regarding denture quality was shown in older-age patients, females, as well as employed and educated patients. Improving dentist-patient communication is the most useful strategy to improve patients? satisfaction with their dentures.

Dentistry, e-health and digitalisation: A critical narrative review of the dental literature on digital technologies with insights from health and technology studies.

To overview current developments in e-health and digitalisation in dentistry and identify gaps in the dental literature on this topic; Basic research design: a critical narrative review of published articles and relevant online materials; Results: Four themes are identified as characterising the current dental literature on e-health and digitalisation: 1) the impact of digitalisation on dental surgeries, 2) digital technology and practice management, 3) digitalisation beyond the dental surgery and in dentist-patient communication, and 4) digital technology and education. However, gaps remain in our understanding of the impact of digital technology on dental practice, particularly in relation to its ethical considerations. Following the example of the wider medical literature, the review introduces the field of critical digital health studies and identifies areas for future investigation and exploration based on its four characteristics: devices and software, data materialisation, data practices and data mobilities; Conclusion and Clinical significance: Digital technology is changing clinical practice and patient care. Dentistry needs to expand its understanding of how dental apps, digital workflow models and digital health information are transforming and disrupting dental practice in order to anticipate how this digital shift will impact on dentistry. The emerging field of critical digital health studies can signpost ways to improve research and practice on the topic in the future.

The pain colour of children with toothache in Turkish population

BackgroundToothache is a common consequence of untreated caries, predisposed by poor oral hygiene and high caries risk. Most children expressed their pain through their parents or carers. The aim of this study was to determine the colour of pain presence and absence.MethodsPatients aged between 4 and 14 and referred to a dentist for the first time due to toothache had a short-term pain of 1 month caused by deep cavities. The children chose paintings from the box of 24 standard colours (Crayola, Spain) and the circles were painted. Pain was rated by children on the Visual Analoge Scale. Normality and variance were tested using the one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Associations were performed by using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Analyses were completed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) version 20.0 program.ResultsA total of 147 patients including 78 girls (53.1%) and 69 boys (46.9%) were included in the study. The principal component analysis showed that red has the highest factor loading in children with pain, whereas yellow was the other highest one in children without pain.ConclusionThe presence of pain was mainly associated with red, and the absence of pain was associated with yellow in Turkish population. Description of pain with colour can be useful tool to recognize the children and to improve dentist-patient or dentist-parents communication.

Teaching and Assessment of Dentist-Patient Communication Skills: A Systematic Review to Identify Best-Evidence Methods.

Dentist-patient communication skills are important aspects of contemporary oral health care, as shared decision making with patients becomes more common. The aim of this systematic review of the literature on teaching and assessment methodologies for communication skills in dental practice was to categorize those skills most relevant to dental practice and determine the best-evidence teaching and assessment methods. The systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE, EBM-Cochrane Libraries, Embase, ERIC, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, and PsycINFO using the OVID search engine, together with manually searching relevant journal articles. Relevant data were extracted from all included articles, and thematic analysis, categorization, and quality review of the articles was performed. Fifty articles published between 2000 and 2016 were identified as relevant to this study. Most were comparative design studies. The largest numbers were single group studies with before and after tests and cross-sectional studies. A total of 26 communication skills were identified and grouped into four major categories: generic skills, case-specific skills, time-specific skills, and emerging skills. Review of the teaching methods described in those articles showed that educators used a combination of passive and active strategies. All the assessment measures were considered to be valid and reliable. This categorization of essential dentist-patient communication skills reported in the literature may be used to assist in curriculum design along with use of tested teaching methods and validated assessment measures. The review highlights the need for more robust study designs for research in this important aspect of dental education.