Patients’ Perspectives of Oral Healthcare Providers’ Communication: Considering the Impact of Message Source and Content

ABSTRACT

This study explores patients’ perceptions of positive and negative communication experiences with dentists and dental hygienists using a sample of 267 individuals who reported having a general dental provider. Patients’ oral health literacy, dental mistrust, use of dental health services, anxiety, and provider satisfaction are examined on the basis of reported communication experiences in the dental context. When comparing participants who had or had not experienced positive communication with a dentist, individuals with positive experiences demonstrated significantly higher levels of oral health literacy and provider satisfaction, as well as lower levels of dental mistrust. Participants who had experienced negative communication with a dentist reported significantly higher levels of anxiety and dental mistrust, as well as greater likelihood of ever leaving a dental practice, as compared to those without negative communication experiences. By contrast, positive and negative communication experiences with hygienists had limited impact on patient outcomes. Information derived from this investigation can be used by dental providers to guide communicative actions with patients, as well as by scholars to enhance existing theoretical explanations of the function of communication in dentistry.

Notes

1. Participants were asked to report if they had a regular dental provider, which was defined as an office at which the respondent considered him/herself to be a patient and where s/he could routinely schedule dental procedures. A total of 29 individuals reported that they had previously seen a dentist, but did not have a current provider. Two individuals reported that they had never been to a dental provider. All 31 cases are excluded from analyses reported herein.

2. Levene’s test for the assumption for homogeneity of variance between groups was not met for the outcome of provider satisfaction in relation to positive communication experience with a dentist and positive communication experience with a hygienist. As such, equal variances between groups are not assumed in regard to these comparisons and modified degrees of freedom are reported.