Patient-dentist Communication Research Articles

A study of dentists' explanations and patient-dentist communication among older adults in Japan.

In recent years, the proportion of elderly people in the total patient population has been increasing owing to the rapid aging of Japanese society. However, little is known about the age-specific healthcare communication challenges within the field of dentistry. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between dentists' explanations and patient-dentist communication among elderly patients. The study included 146 dentist-elderly patient pairs from Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. A questionnaire was administered to pairs of dentists and patients. The survey was conducted between June 2021 and April 2022. We examined the relationships among the survey items: dentist demographics, patient demographics and sufficiency of the dentist explanations, and patient-dentist communication. The logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the patient's mode of visiting the dentist as the objective variable, sufficiency of the dentist explanations, patient-dentist communication, dentist, and patient factors as explanatory variables. About 30% of patients felt that explanations of "Comparison with other treatment methods," "Treatment period," and "Treatment prognosis" were not sufficient. Among these items, a significantly higher percentage of respondents found the dentist's explanations sufficient when they were treated by more than one dentist. Many good communication factors were significantly associated with the dentist being younger and having a preventive practice. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association between sufficiency of the dentist explanations and patients' regular dental visits. Adequate explanations by dentists for elderly patients were significantly associated with the dentist factor. Improving the quantity and quality of the dentists' explanations of treatment may improve patient satisfaction and promote regular dental visits.

Patient-dentist communication and its impact on dental services utilisation as perceived by patients in Libya.

To identify the factors influencing communication between patients and dentists in Libya and their effects on patient satisfaction and trust. We explored the impact of these interactions on the subsequent utilisation of dental health services from the patient's perspective. Qualitative descriptive study in a purposive sample of patients from oral health centres in Janzour city in Libya who were over eighteen years old. Sixteen semi-structured interviews (30-90 minutes) were conducted online. Trust was the prime concern among patients. Other factors also positively impacting communication and patient satisfaction included information interaction, active participation, moral support, explanation about processes and the dentists' comprehension of how a patient feels. The online interviews revealed four key thematic areas that reflected the patient-dentist communication phases: 1) Welcoming and establishing a good interpersonal rapport phase; 2) the Information-sharing phase; 3) Treatment decision-making phase, and 4) Satisfaction self-evaluation phase. These data emphasise the significance of soft skills, particularly effective communication, in the context of dental practice. The findings underscore the importance of personal values and interpersonal skills among dental professionals, as these factors play a pivotal role in shaping the success of dental healthcare provision.

The state of patient-dentist communication among the adult population of Ukraine

effective communication between patients and dental doctors is a critical component in providing high-quality dental care and preserving overall health. Unknown terms and insufficient health-related information can lead to a misperception of the disease, diagnosis, and treatment processes that, in turn, may result in more serious health consequences. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to the quality of patient-dentist communication in order to prevent dental anxiety and dental fear, which induces patients to avoid dental visits and, in general, reduces the effectiveness of treatment, makes any preventive measures impossible to implement. The objective of this study is to determine the level of dental anxiety, understanding of information provided at the dentist’s, and to assess the impact of unknown technical vocabulary in the dentist's speech on patient-doctor communication among Ukrainians aged 20 – 39. The study was conducted using an anonymous survey of 200 respondents aged from 20 to 39, including 151 women and 49 men. The survey consisted of 20 questions, 5 of which were adapted from the Modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS), other were formulated by the authors. The findings obtained were analyzed using STATISTICA for Windows 13 software (StatSoft Inc., # JPZ804I382120ARCN10-J). It was found that dental anxiety is prevalent in nearly half of the adult population in Ukraine, particularly among women and individuals aged 20-29. 55.4% of the respondents feel anxious at the dentist’s appointment because of special technical words, while 38.4% of them gain credence. As people age, they are more likely to consider that unclear words have no impact on communication. The term `anesthesia` is the most understandable among those researched, while the term `endodontic treatment` was unclear to 62.7% of respondents, especially among those aged 30-39 and women. Men are more likely to interpret the term as `painful procedure`. The term `cyst` is considered curable with the tooth preservation more often than with its necessary removal - 20.8% vs. 6.8% of all respondents respectively. Beliefs about the impossibility of saving a tooth are more common among people aged 20-29 - 9.2% vs. 5.9% of people aged 30-39. The difference in number of male and female respondents who consider that `benign neoplasm` `must be removed` depends on age: in the 20-29-year-old group, the `must be removed` option prevailed among men - 30.8% vs. 25.4% of women; in the 30-39 age group - prevailed among women - 43.2% vs. 23.1% of men. To conclude, dental anxiety is prevalent in nearly half of Ukrainian adults, particularly among women and individuals aged 20-29. Dental technical words are found as eliciting more anxiety than trust or fear, but this effect decreases with age, as more Ukrainians consider that technical words do not have a significant impact on further communication between the dentist and patient. Dentists are advised to avoid such terms as `endodontic treatment` and use their analogues, or to make sure that the patient fully comprehends the information provided in order to prevent misunderstandings and dental anxiety level growth.

Patient-dental student provider communication in an academic dental clinic setting: A dyadic data analysis.

Patient-dentist communication is an inherently dyadic social process; however, it is rarely regarded as such in research and pedagogy. This study utilizes a dyadic data analysis approach to study patient-dental student provider communication in an academic dental clinic. Using pairwise data collected from patient-dental student provider dyads, we conducted unadjusted and adjusted actor-partner interdependence models to examine the association of intrapersonal (actor) and interpersonal (partner) effects of three communication skills on the assessment of appointment interaction among patient-dental student provider dyads in a pre-doctoral comprehensive care academic dental clinic setting. Actor effects were most evident among the associations in the study. Dental student providers' assessment of their own shared decision-making predicted positive changes in their overall interaction assessment in both unadjusted and fully adjusted models. Patients' ratings of their dental student provider's capability/confidence predicted positive changes in their overall interaction assessment in both unadjusted and adjusted models. This study suggests that dental students and their patients are primarily impacted by actor perspectives regarding dental student communication and its impact on the assessment of their respective overall appointment interaction. Findings suggest a need for the incorporation of interpersonal skill building in collaboration with patients to strengthen the communication skills and practice of dental students.

Impact, Utility and Need for Tele Orthodontics in Recent Times-A Systematic Review

Introduction: Tele orthodontics uses information technology to provide remote, global healthcare advice and treatment. This approach allows the exchange of patient-related information with healthcare providers and/ or related organizations using digital technology such as radiographs and healthcare-related consultations. This is in contrast to the traditional methods of healthcare management, which rely on direct patient contact and communication. Furthermore, Tele orthodontics has been shown to be a valuable means of monitoring patients and facilitating patient-dentist communication, especially in the present COVID-19 pandemic that has challenged the existing global healthcare systems and all forms of healthcare policy. Objective: To evaluate the impact, relevance and utility of tele orthodontics in today's era. Methods: In this systematic review, the articles search was performed on relevant studies collected through systematically developed and executed search strategies for the past 10 years in the following databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, Ebsco, Medline etc. The research was carried out by online and offline surfing and 10yrs database records.442 records were screened, out of which 8 articles were narrowed down to be included for the systematic review. Results: There are eight articles, which suggested the impact and relevance of teleorthodontics in recent times. Conclusion: Based on eight articles teleorthodontics is a go-to modality and an adjunct to traditional orthodontic diagnosis, consultation and treatment therapy

Diagnosis, management and knowledge of halitosis among Polish and Lebanese dentists: Questionnaire-based survey.

Halitosis (fetor ex ore, malodor, bad breath) is defined as an unpleasant odor coming from the oral cavity, regardless of the cause: local or systemic. It affects 22-50% of the population worldwide, leading to a significant decrease in the overall quality of life, and can have oral and extra-oral etiologies. There is an increased interest in the management of halitosis. This study aims to evaluate the patient-dentist communication on halitosis, the dentists' knowledge about the management and etiology of halitosis, and the treatment options used by dentists who practice in Poland and Lebanon. An online questionnaire was sent to both Lebanese and Polish dentists using Google Forms (Google LLC, Mountain View, USA). In total, 205 dentists completed the questionnaire, of which 100 practiced in Poland (group P) and 105 practiced in Lebanon (group L). A multivariate analysis was conducted to determine differences between both groups and to identify parameters that could influence a dentist's management of halitosis. According to the questionnaire, 86% of group P members and 65.7% of group L members reported communicating with patients about halitosis. Regarding the knowledge of halitosis, 78% of dentists in group P and 85.7% of dentists in group L reported that there is a classification for halitosis. A significant majority of dentists in both groups revealed not having any tool to measure halitosis (67.6% and 68% from group P and group L, respectively). This study confirms the need for improved communication skills in Polish and Lebanese dentists, as well as for education on the subject among dentists in both countries, and for standardization in diagnosis, treatment modalities and management of halitosis.

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.

Relationship of Oral Health Literacy with Decision-making in Dental Treatment Planning among Urban Population of Lahore

In clinical settings, dentists frequently come across patients with variable oral health literacy, and they are not always able to tell which patients might comprehend with health-related explanations and instructions. Objective: To calculate oral health literacy level of patients reporting for dental treatment and correlation of the aforementioned with patients’ decision-making capacity regarding dental treatment. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with a pilot study on 60 patients in University Dental Hospital, University of Lahore through non-probability purposive sampling technique. Sample of 200 patients was collected over a period of five months (June 2022-October 2022). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Study was divided into two phases; in Phase I, REALD-30 scale was used. Phase-II involved individuals scoring 11-30 points on REALD-30 scale and who had to complete a self-administered 5-point Likert scale questionnaire with eleven closed-ended items in order to determine their level of decision-making. Results: Study revealed that there was significant association between Oral Health Literacy Level with getting prior information concerning dental issue (p=0.032), ability to appraise the decided treatment plan (p=0.033) and opinion regarding follow up visits (p=0.026). Conclusions: The results of the current study revealed a tenuous link between education, employment position, oral health literacy, and decision-making regarding dental treatment strategy. Effective patient-dentist communication generates strong link between the two leading to compliance of patients with treatment plan suggested by experts

Dental English Education for Korean Dental Students: Focused on Development of Foreign Patient-Dentist Communication Skills

This research aims to explore the dental students’ perceptions of the need for dental English education to improve communication skills competency between foreign patients and dentists. In this study, a total of 137 Korean dental school students participated and were divided into two groups based on their direct patient care experience (Yes: 44 students and No: 93 students). The questionnaire composed of 5-point Likert scale questions, multiple-choice grid questions, and open-ended questions, was administered to investigate dental students’ responses and additional opinions on communication skills in patient- and foreign patient-dentist interaction. Findings indicate that dental students were highly aware of the need for education on communication skills between patients and dentists regardless of the patient’s nationality. Interestingly, when comparing group results based on direct patient care experience, students without direct care experience showed a high need for education in patient-dentist communication skills. Surprisingly, the quantitative results of this research were also supported by their responses and the open-ended questions of the questionnaire (qualitative results). This research suggests that communication skills education in dental education plays a key role in developing the student’s competency in communication skills between patient-foreign patient-dentists. More detailed results, discussions, and pedagogical implications of the findings are given for dental English education and further potential research directions.

Awareness of Most Commonly Used Drugs in Dentistry Inducing Teratogenic Effects among Dental Practitioners

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the awareness of most commonly used drugs in dentistry inducing teratogenic effects, among dental practitioners. Birth defects may be caused by many factors such as physical conditions, teratogens, environmental exposures, genetic defects, etc., Although prescription drug use is common during pregnancy, the human teratogenic risks are undetermined for more than 90% drug treatments approved in the USA during the past decades. A particular birth defect may have its origins through multiple mechanisms and possible exposures including medications. A specific chemical process may result in different outcomes depending upon factors such as embryonic age at which a drug is administered, duration and dose of exposure and genetic susceptibility. Estimating the risk of fetal malformations attribute to the use of medications is difficult and perception of risk by health professionals will impact their counseling and treatment of patients. Pregnancy is a unique physiologic condition and importantly specific drugs like folic acid use may have several benefits for pregnant mother. The patient should maintain a good gynecologist patient-Dentist communication. For example a woman with two spontaneous abortions would be expected to be skeptical of any drug therapy in her next pregnancy and by communicating this to physicians and respective clinician. She may influence the physician and dentist perception. The clinician should be aware of all the newer drugs and its teratogenic effects. For health professionals this includes awareness of specific drug information and sources that provide realistic descriptions of risk beyond product monographs. A greater focus on this aspect may act to balance Risk perceptions. Physicians and dentists need to weigh risks and benefits of drug prescribing to pregnant patients based on the available knowledge.

Correlation of Perceived Self-Rated Oral Health Status with Various Dental Health and Awareness Factors.

Aims and Objectives:Self-rated oral health is the key element that has a greater effect on quality of life and found to be authentic and logical to consider this as an indicator for overall oral health status. The aim was to investigate and identify the impact of various social and clinical factors on the perceived self-rated oral health status (PSR-OHS).Materials and Methods:A self-administered questionnaire was distributed 600 patients seeking information for age, gender, nationality, educational level, and their last dental visit followed by 15 questions related to social factors (patient self-rated oral health, patient-dentist communication, literacy level of the patient, and dental neglect) followed by estimating the clinical oral health status (decayed, missing, and filled teeth [DMFT] scores as per WHO norms).Results:The results were estimated by a single five-point-response-scale question dichotomized into poor and good self-rated oral health. The average mean age for participation in the study is 32.5 years and found to be highly significant (P < 0.01) with inverse relation indicating that younger patients give better PSR-OHS. There were no significant differences in PSR-OHS among other demographic factors. Patients visiting the dentist recently found to be confident about their PSR-OHS and are statistically significant. Pearson correlating scores of social factors and the DMFT scores most concerned in the present study have a significant relation with self-rated oral health status.Conclusions:PSR-OHS is governed by various dental health and awareness factors. It can be used as an important tool by a clinician to assess the clinical examination results which helps to achieve more effective time and patient management.

Public perceptions of dental implants: a qualitative study

ObjectivesDental implants have become a popular option for treating partially dentate or edentulous patients. Information on dental implants is widely available in the public domain and is disseminated through industries and dental practitioners at various levels/disciplines. This qualitative study aimed to evaluate the public's information acquisition and their perceptions of dental implants and the effects of these on their care-seeking and decision making. MethodsA purposive sample of 28 adults were recruited to join six focus groups. To be eligible, one must be 35–64 years of age, had never been engaged in dentally related jobs, had at least one missing tooth, and had heard about dental implant but never received dental implant or entered into any dental consultation regarding dental implants. All of the focus groups discussions were transcribed verbatim and subjected to thematic content analysis following a grounded theory approach. ResultsParticipants acquired information on dental implants through various means, such as patient information boards, printed advertisements, social media, and personal connections. They expected dental implants to restore the patients’ appearance, functions, and quality of life to absolute normality. They regarded dental implants as a panacea for all cases of missing teeth, overestimated their functions and longevity, and underestimated the expertise needed to carry out the clinical procedures. They were deterred from seeking dental implant treatment by the high price, invasive procedures, risks, and complications. ConclusionsMembers of the public were exposed to information of varying quality and had some unrealistic expectations regarding dental implants. Such perceptions may shape their care-seeking behaviours and decision-making processes in one way or another. Clinical significanceThe views and experiences gathered in this qualitative study could assist clinicians to better understand the public's perspectives, facilitate constructive patient–dentist communication, and contribute to the creation of positive clinical experiences in implant dentistry.

Patients’ satisfaction with complete dentures: an update.

Population aging is a worldwide phenomenon and, even though there is a downward trend in edentulism, the need for complete dentures is not likely to decrease in the near future. Furthermore, patients’ satisfaction with their dentures is fundamental to improving oral health-related quality of life among edentulous individuals. Considering this, a search was performed for literature since 2001 on the factors that may influence patient satisfaction with complete dentures. Many factors were reported that related to technique, patient, and dentist, as well as their likelihood of influencing patient satisfaction. The factors presenting reasonable evidence of influencing patient satisfaction are the kind of therapy chosen (implant-retained overdentures rated more favorably than conventional dentures); patient personality and psychological factors; patient oral conditions; patient perception of the dentist and dental care; and patient-dentist communication issues. Several other factors that may influence patient satisfaction were not addressed in the recent literature or presented contradicting results, highlighting the need for more research in this topic.

Health literacy: a pathway to better oral health.

We examined whether health literacy was associated with self-rated oral health status and whether the relationship was mediated by patient-dentist communication and dental care patterns. We tested a path model with data collected from 2 waves of telephone surveys (baseline, 2009-2010; follow-up, 2011) of individuals residing in 36 rural census tracts in northern Florida (final sample size n = 1799). Higher levels of health literacy were associated with better self-rated oral health status (B = 0.091; P < .001). In addition, higher levels of health literacy were associated with better patient-dentist communication, which in turn corresponded with patterns of regular dental care and better self-rated oral health (B = 0.003; P = .01). Our study showed that, beyond the often-reported effects of gender, race, education, financial status, and access to dental care, it is also important to consider the influence of health literacy and quality of patient-dentist communication on oral health status. Improved patient-dentist communication is needed as an initial step in improving the population's oral health.

Dentist-patient communication as perceived by patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The aim of this study was to assess patient-dentist communication and to evaluate the factors affecting it among Saudi patients and its effect on satisfaction. A self-administered questionnaire was designed for this survey with 5-scale Likert-type statements. Patients' main concern was the courtesy followed by information interaction, moral support, explaining the procedure and understanding of the patient's feelings. These were the factors that contributed positively to good communication and satisfaction. It could be concluded that Saudi dentist possess a satisfactory ability to communicate with their patients.

The Try-In — A Time for Communication

The clinical try-in represents a point of no return. It is imperative that all parties concerned with the treatment be satisfied before proceeding. The dentist should enlist the aid of the patient and additional persons to participate in esthetic refinements. The patient must be aware of his responsibilities during the course of treatment, and written letters or reports are helpful to define these responsibilities. Prevention is the best cure for serious postinsertion problems and can only come about through adequate patient-dentist communication. Clear communication results in realistic expectations, which in turn lead to patient satisfaction.