Communication and the dental team

E. J. Kay S. R. Tinsley Dental Team Books, 2004, www.dentalteambooks.com £23.95 ISBN 0954614518

Think of communication and the dental team and one immediately thinks of Liz Kay... formally known as Professor Elizabeth Kay. So, no real surprises when she publishes a book on the subject.

Writing a book on a common sense subject, which is also an integral part of a successful career in dentistry is not easy, but she along with her colleague Stella Tinsley has made it look so simple. The tone of the book is specifically written in an accessible style for all team members. It is all very much in line with her lecturing style which always goes down well.

Topics and guidance include:

  • Building good relationships with patients and colleagues

  • Learning and teaching motivation

  • Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)

  • Dealing with problems in the dental work place

The NLP section was especially interesting and like all elements of communication can be used inside and out of the working environment. I even found myself looking forward to having a conversation with someone and watching what eye movements they made and then making my subsequent analysis of the whole event.

While this book is clearly aimed at the whole dental team I think it would be ideally suited to those new to the profession, those studying in a dental setting and those who just have a keen interest in how the general dental public tick!