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Are dental students well-equipped to deal with difficult communication situations?

British Dental Journal volume 224, pages 163–168 (2018)Cite this article

Key Points

  • Identifies clinical dental students' levels of confidence in a range of communication scenarios to assist in highlighting areas requiring further attention.

  • Shows that communication scenarios such as those involving the interaction of HPV, oral cancer, systemic disease and dental neglect were found to be most challenging according to students. HPV-related scenarios were deemed to be most difficult.

  • Suggests the General Dental Council and programme directors that formulate education curricula should consider including outcomes related to HPV, oropharyngeal cancer and its vaccine.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Children's Hospital & Dental Hospital, University Hospital Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol, UK

    T. W. M. Walker, C. Fleming & S. J. Thomas

  2. School of Oral & Dental Sciences, Bristol Dental Hospital, University of Bristol, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol, UK

    T. W. M. Walker, C. Fleming, D. Rakhra, A. E. Waylen & S. J. Thomas

  3. Foundation Year 1, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, UK

    A. Kerai

  4. Dental Student, King's College London Dental Institute, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    S. Hall

  5. School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

    J. P. Horwood

Authors
  1. T. W. M. Walker
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  2. C. Fleming
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  3. A. Kerai
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  4. S. Hall
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  5. D. Rakhra
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  6. J. P. Horwood
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  7. A. E. Waylen
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  8. S. J. Thomas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. W. M. Walker.

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Walker, T., Fleming, C., Kerai, A. et al. Are dental students well-equipped to deal with difficult communication situations?. Br Dent J 224, 163–168 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2018.44

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2018.44

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