Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

Restoring Dental Implants made easy Dr Stuart Jacobs 16th June 2011 Dental Implant treatment planning and Implant maintenance for the general practitioner Periodontics: An update for the general practitioner Dr Amit Patel Dr Amit Patel 31st May 2011 7th June 2011 Essential Periodontology: a practical approach Dr Wendy Turner 23rd May 2011 June 6-12, 201120 United Kingdom EditionDCPs formation in patients own lan- guage • Share experiences/anecdotes (where appropriate and never in a prolonged way) • Accept patients thoughts and feelings • Reserve judgement • Use ‘hear’ ‘see’ ‘told’ • Open and closed questions • Closed questions often lead to yes/no responses and the ques- tion/answer trap • Open Questions usually al- low the clients to tell their story and they permit a better understanding of the issues— open questions help build em- pathy Avoid argument Patients can be uncomfort- able or nervous and this can result in • Aggressive behaviour • Derogatory comments • Negative listening • You feeling STRESSED!!!!!!! Only when it is the client, not the clinician, who voices argu- ments for change can progress be made. The goal is to “walk” with the clients (ie, accompany clients through treatment) not “drag” them along (ie, direct clients’ treatment). This does not mean we should not provide advice and support, rather that we should not dictate our opinions to the patient. Roll with resistance Adjusting to resistance is simi- lar to avoiding argument in that it offers another chance for the clinician to express empathy by remaining nonjudgmental and respectful, encouraging the cli- ent to talk and to stay involved. The clinician should avoid evoking resistance whenever possible, and divert or deflect the energy the client is invest- ing in resistance toward posi- tive change. The simplest approach to responding to resistance is with non-resistance by repeat- ing the client’s statement in a neutral form. This acknowl- edges and validates what the client has said and can elicit an opposing response. This simple reflection is very effective. You can also defuse resist- ance by helping the client shift focus away from obstacles and barriers. This method offers an opportunity to affirm your cli- ent’s personal choice regarding the conduct of his own life. Develop discrepancy Separate the behaviour from the person and help the client explore how important per- sonal goals (eg, good health, fresh breath, straight teeth, and whiter smile) are being under- mined by current patterns. This requires the clinician to listen to the client carefully about values The questions below are ways of evoking change in the patient. This is an important phase of discussion and can increase treatment uptake as well as improving health. 1What would you like to see different about your current situation? 2What makes you think you need to change? 3Why are you concerned about your health situation/ap- pearance? 4What things will be differ- ent if you don’t change? Try throwing these open questions into conversa- tion with your patients then lis- ten, without interruption to the answers. See if you can spot the internal discussion the patient has as they decide how they feel about things and decide if they are ready to change, have treatment, and alter their be- haviour. DT page 18DTß About the author Mhari Coxon is a dental hygienist practising in Cen- tral London. She is chairman of the London British So- ciety of Dental Hy- giene and Therapy (BSDHT) regional group and is on the publications committee of its journal, Dental Health. She is also clinical di- rector of CPDforDCP, which provides CPD courses for all DCPs. To contact her, email mhari.coxon@cpdfordcp. co.uk.