Access to special care dentistry, part 2. Communication

doi:doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.533

British Dental Journal 205, 11 - 21 (2008)
Published online: 12 July 2008 | doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.533

Subject Categories: Communication skills | Special needs

Access to special care dentistry, part 2. Communication

A. Dougall¹ & J. Fiske²

Good communication helps to reduce patient anxiety whilst enhancing patient satisfaction and minimising misunderstandings and complaints.
A number of disabilities can impact on 'normal' communication practice.
Where communication cannot be met through speech, non-verbal methods should be considered.
It is important not to pretend to understand speech which is not clear.

This article considers what communication is, its elements, what helps and what hinders it, and why it matters. It also considers managing people with communication differences and when communication is affected in special care dentistry (SCD). The article focuses on patients with hearing and visual impairments and considers how communication is affected and what techniques can be used to improve the situation. It offers recommendations for communicating with patients with neurological impairments typically seen after stroke, such as aphasia and dysarthria, with tips for the listener including the use of communication aids where appropriate. Finally it will consider communicating with patients who have autistic spectrum conditions and discuss how effective techniques and a tailored approach to their specific needs and anxieties can increase the likelihood of a successful dental visit.

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Lecturer and Consultant for Medically Compromised Patients, Division One/Special Care Dentistry, Dublin Dental School and Hospital, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2, Ireland
Chairperson of the Specialist Advisory Group in Special Care Dentistry/Senior Lecturer and Consultant in Special Care Dentistry, Department of Sedation and Special Care Dentistry, King's College London Dental Institute, Floor 26, Guy's Tower, London, SE1 9RT

Correspondence to: J. Fiske² e-mail: Janice.Fiske@gstt.nhs.uk

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