The importance of teaching communication in dental education. A survey amongst dentists,students and patients |
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| Authors: | J P Woelber D Deimling D Langenbach P Ratka‐Krüger |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, Dental School and Hospital University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany;2. Private Practice, München, Germany;3. Private Practice, Bad S?ckingen, Germany |
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| Abstract: | The aim of our study was to evaluate the subjective importance of teaching communication in the dental curriculum by conducting a survey amongst dentists, students and patients. Three questionnaires about communication‐related issues were developed in which different questions could be rated on a five‐point Likert scale. These questions included the subjective importance of the dental team’s friendliness, an elaborated consultation, modern office equipment or the dentist’s technical skills. Seven hundred and twenty‐nine questionnaires were completed 233 by dentists (32%), 310 by students (43%) and 185 by patients (25%)]. Eighty‐seven percentage of the dentists, 84% of the students and 84% of the patients supported an integration of communicational issues in dental education; 94.7% of the dentists and 77.2% of the patients attached vital importance to the dentist–patient relationship regarding the therapeutic outcomes. Dentists with prior communicational training experience would spend significantly (P < 0.001) more money for further courses. The results show the publicly perceived importance of integrating aspects of communication in dental education. |
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| Keywords: | communication dental dentistry education |
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