[Communication in the dental practice. Communicating with older patients]. / Serie: Communicatie in de tandartspraktijk. Communiceren met de oudere patiënt.

The ageing of the population in the Netherlands and in Belgium and the growing number of older people who still have their own teeth mean that dentists are seeing older patients in their dental practices increasingly often. Loss of cognitive abilities can hinder communication with the patients. Dementia and care-resistant behaviour demand a special patient-centred approach. In addition, frail older people are often dependent on carers or volunteers who actively participate in the conversation when the patient visits the dentist. This article addresses issues dentists should take into account in such cases. It also makes suggestions about how most effectively to direct communications with older patients and/or their companions.

[Series: Communication in the dental practice. Dealing with anxiety in the dental office]. / Serie: Communicatie in de tandartspraktijk. Omgaan met angst in de tandartspraktijk.

Dentists frequently have to deal with anxious children and adults. Whether these patients can be treated successfully in a regular dental office depends on the type of fear and its severity. Proper diagnostic procedures are therefore paramount. This article gives an overview of how dental fear develops, is sustained, and can be treated. It elaborates on the communication skills important in reducing anxiety and preventing children from developing dental fear.

[Series: Communication in the dental practice. Low levels of literacy and limited health literacy]. / Serie: Communicatie in de tandartspraktijk. Laaggeletterdheid en beperkte gezondheidsvaardigheden.

Approximately 36% of the Dutch population has insufficient or limited health literacy. This disproportionately concerns patients with low socioeconomic status (SES), the elderly and migrants, but also highly-educated patients. Dentists are often unaware of this. A patient with limited health literacy might have trouble with a dentist's explanation or with reading written information. A dentist may not immediately notice this, but can be aware of signals indicating it. Such signals can vary from not completely filling out a questionnaire to wrongly interpreting instructions or systematically not showing up to appointments. The dentist needs to take this into account in his use of language and adapt any informational matter to make it understandable for everyone. Co-workers such as receptionists also need to be informed about signs indicating limited health literacy and how best to communicate with these patients.

[Series: Communication in the dental practice. Communicating in a culturally competent manner]. / Serie: Communicatie in de tandartspraktijk. Cultureel competent communiceren.

Dentists will increasingly have to treat patients with a variety of cultural backgrounds. They will consequently have to deal with various preconceptions about health and how people ought to behave with each other. In order to develop a good dentist-patient relationship and provide appropriate care, the dentist will have to learn to communicate in a culturally competent manner. That requires an open, empathetic attitude and an awareness of one's own norms, values and views. The dentist will have to consider how they differ from those of people from another (sub) culture. With the help of a number of examples, this article will provide an impulse to do that.

[Series: Communication in the dental practice. Delivering bad news]. / Serie: Communicatie in de tandartspraktijk. Het slechtnieuwsgesprek.

In general practice a dentist will from time to time have to convey bad news to his patients. Often they feel burdened by this because of the emotional impact of such a conversation. This article discusses the way in which patients prefer to have bad news relayed to them. Using cases suggestions are made how to structure the bad news conversation.

[Series: Communication in the dental practice. Motivating change in behaviour]. / Serie: Communicatie in de tandartspraktijk. Motiveren tot gedragsverandering.

Why people display certain behaviour is determined by a number of factors. If a dentist wants to change behaviour harmful to the patient's health, he will have to identify the factors determining this behaviour, taking into account factors like social acceptability. The dentist can then counsel the patient to change his or her behaviour using motivational interviewing techniques fitting the patient's motivational phase. A lot of frustration over non-compliance with (failing to follow-up on) recommended advice couldbe avoided this way.

[Series: Communication in the dental practice. Dealing with conflict and intimidation in the dental practice]. / Serie: Communicatie in de tandarts­praktijk. Omgaan met conflicten en intimidatie in de tandartspraktijk.

In the dental practice, several situations that might lead to conflict are imaginable. How a dentist deals with a conflict depends in part on the importance he places on the content of the conflict in relation to the importance of the relationship with the patient. This article briefly describes 5 conflict management styles. On the basis of case histories, suggestions are made for handling situations when a conflict leads to aggression, you are facing sexual intimidation or a conflict develops with a demanding patient. Finally, some advice is given on how to deal with errors/complications in treatment and dealing with criticism.

[Series: Communication in the dental practice. Building a good dentist-patient relationship with communication]. / Serie: Communicatie in de tandartspraktijk. Met communicatie bouwen aan een goede tandarts-patiëntrelatie.

A good dentist-patient relationship promotes better oral health of the patient. In order to build and maintain such a relationship a dentist should possess good communication skills. First of all, an open, empathic attitude is important, in which the dentist is aware that he can make mistakes interpreting patient behaviour. Good observational skills are necessary to detect (non-)verbal signals indicating how to interpret the patient's story. By demonstrating non-verbal, paralingual and verbal listening behaviour,he can show patients that he is paying attention to them. When discussing findings, it is important for patients to receive a clear explanation and be given the opportunity to ask questions. It is also wise to pay attention to the patient's expectations of the treatment outcome, elaborate on the advantages and disadvantages of the treatment alternatives and to be transparent in case of complications.