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Effective Communication Methods

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Communication
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“One size fits all" does not apply to

the learning abilities of all individuals

When planning behavioural interventions

for specific individuals, a more accurate
adage is "one size fits one"

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 The importance of communication
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Good communication is fundamental to good clinical practice; allows us to

inform, be informed and to exchange information;

 Important for understanding their patients reasons for attendance

 Identify their medical history
 Explanation of treatment needs
 Gain informative consent
 To provide appropriate preventive advice

Effective communication facilitates the building of patient rapport and trust and
contributes to a better patient experience, satisfaction and compliance for the
dental team as well as minimising misunderstanding and complaints

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 The elements of communication
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Verbal communication – relates to what is being said

Para linguistics – relates to how it is said and includes voice tone,

volume, speed of speech

Non verbal communication – relates to gestures, facial expressions,

eye contact, body language and clothes

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The Communication Triangle
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7%
Words

33%
Vocal Tone

60%
Facial Expression
and
Body Language

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To communicate oral health messages we must work in partnership with people

A partnership means;

Trust and openness between yourself and the patients, patients are not intimidated

Respecting and identifying the patients needs, expectations and involving them in the
decision making

Encourage patients to talk and share their knowledge and experiences of oral health by
adopting careful questioning skills

Patients in a group setting will learn from each other and not just from the oral health
educator

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 Active Listening
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Active Listening is a term used to indicate the skills that demonstrate one
is listening and appropriate verbal responses

Paralinguistic and non verbal communication are the more important

features

The acronym SOLER is useful for non verbal demonstration of listening;

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 Active Listening
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SOLER

Square - for effective demonstration of listening skills the health professional

should face the patient squarely, otherwise he or she might seem uninterested

Open - open body position involves avoiding crossing arms and legs, these are
often interpreted as defensive or shutting down

Leaning - a slight forward lean indicates an eagerness to learn more

Eye Contact - when listening most people maintain good eye contact and this
encourages speakers to continue

Relaxed - a relaxed posture is important, otherwise the communication will seem

artificial

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Managing people with communication differences
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Communication is a life-long developmental process

Disabilities and communication barriers can impact on “normal” communication processes;

 Anxiety – hear, retain or comprehend information

 If possible give information away from clinical setting
 Provide written back –up material in appropriate format (translated material)
 Allow them to reflect before questions
 Neutral environment for patients with profound dental anxiety

Communication relies to a large extent on seeing and hearing, if one or other of these
sensory systems is impaired the communication process can also be impaired

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 Tips for improving communication
Minimise background noise, distractions and interruptions
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Inform them of the procedure and try to describe procedures in terms of how they will sound, feel, taste and
smell

Face them square on when speaking and ensure there is no strong back lighting as this interferes with residual
vision

Gain eye contact before starting to enable them to see facial expressions and gestures if words are difficult to
comprehend

Augment speech with gesture and visual aids where possible

Speak clearly not slowly, use natural facial expressions and gestures, avoid jargon and unfamiliar
abbreviations

Use short sentences, allow them time to absorb message

Ask direct closed questions and emphasise key words, do not finish the person’s statement

Limit information to one piece at a time and ensure the person is only doing one task at a time

If using an interpreter always speak directly to the person you are communicating with and not the interpreter

All written material should be on matt paper, font size 14, in mixed case rather than capitals

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 Questioning Skills
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Closed

Offensive Open
?
Multiple Leading

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Written Communication
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Keep words short

Keep sentences short

Keep paragraphs short

Use lots of subheadings

Be accurate, brief and clear

Avoid jargon

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Group work

In groups discuss ……….

• Who
• Where
• How
• Resources

………to communicate oral health effectively

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WHO, WHERE, HOW, and the WHO……… Dental nurse

RESOURCES to communicate oral Oral health educator
health message effectively Dental hygienist
Dentist
Dental receptionist
Health visitor
School nurse
Hospital nurse
Practice nurse
Midwives
Dieticians
Teachers
Nursery nurse, play leaders
Mass media
Voluntary organizations
Public, Parents, Grandparents
Pharmacists
G.P’s

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WHERE…………………
Dental surgery/Waiting room
Ante-natal and post-natal groups (breastfeeding , first-time mums groups)
Child health clinic
Mother and toddler groups
Pre-school groups (playgroups, nursery schools, after school clubs)
Primary schools Secondary schools
Social groups (Brownies, Cubs, Scouts, Guides)
Higher Education (Trainee nurses and Nursery nurses)
Pre-retirement groups
Groups of older people (Opportunities in Retirement)
Carers (Special Needs Carers, Childminders, Teachers)
At work At leisure At home
Hospitals
Prisons
Woman refugees

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HOW……....

One to one discussion

Informal group

Formal presentation/lecture

Peer group work

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RESOURCES………….

Leaflets, Posters, Samples –self produced, commercially produced

Books – local Dental Health Promotion dept, libraries, bookshops
DVDs – local Dental Health Promotion dept, some are free of charge
from some of the larger commercial companies
NHS Education for Scotland
Local and National Press – dental journals, newspapers, magazines etc
(copyright)
TV, Radio and any other media
Internet

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Health Improvement Activities: nationally

 Childsmile
 Caring for Smiles
 Smiles for Life
 Mouth Matters
 NHS Health Scotland DVD

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Group work

Discuss resources that you currently use for effective interaction

with patients, colleagues, health professionals, groups or individuals

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Visual aids

The use of good visual aids - especially physical 'props' which people can
hold and touch - is one of the best techniques for adding interest, humour
and variety to presentations, training, and public speaking

People remember more of what they are told if the experience is multi-
sensory, rather than just listening to spoken words or reading printed
words on a screen

Visual aids, particularly 'props', have a physical presence, texture, feel,

perhaps smell also, which can create powerful and memorable
metaphors

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Visual aids

Over-sized props (demonstration models, puppets) that you keep with you at
the front or on stage can be particularly effective, especially for a big
audience for whom a small prop might have less impact

Smaller props - like fruit and vegetables or chocolate snack bars - are fun to
pass around the audience to assess sugar/salt content

Using good and imaginative visual aids brings a talk or presentation to life,
and can sometimes injects a lot of humour

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Group work

Discuss enhancing your communication techniques with

patients, colleagues, health professionals, groups or individuals

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Common Teaching Methods

Lecture
Lecture with discussion
Word Shower
Videotapes/DVDs
Class discussion
Small group discussion
Role playing
Worksheets /Surveys
Index card exercise
Guest speaker

See additional handout

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Resources

Leaflets, Posters, Samples –self produced, commercially produced

Books – local Dental Health Promotion dept, libraries, bookshops
Videos – local Dental Health Promotion dept, some are free of charge
from some of the larger commercial companies
NHS Education for Scotland
Local and National Press – dental journals, newspapers, magazines etc
(copyright)
TV, Radio and any other media
Children’s own work – peer group working
Internet

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