Communication in dentistry: application of Neuro-Linguistic Programming to reduce patients’ anxiety

ABSTRACT

Communication is an integral part of the relationship between dentist and patient. An anxious patient may feel more understood by the dentist when the communication between them is empathetic. However, dental education seems to under-emphasise the importance of communication between dentists and patients. We suggest an interpersonal aspect of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) as one approach to educate dental students to enhance communication skills. This commentary discusses key communication concepts and skills based on NLP, such as rapport and pacing. These concepts and skills can improve dental practice by improving the dentist-patient relationship. Dental educators can introduce these NLP-based concepts and skills about communication to help students better prepare for real-world dentistry practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Communication
• Neuro-Linguistic Programming
• dentistry
• education
• patient anxiety

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Leilah Adams

Dr Leilah Adams is a dentist, qualified from the University of the Western Cape, since 2005, and has completed a PDD in forensic dentistry. She is also an internationally qualified NLP practitioner and uses NLP techniques in her private dental practice in Cape Town South Africa, and locums as senior dentist on Ascension Island and St Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. Her research interests include anxiety in the dental patient as well as patient management.

Noelia Martínez-Rives

Noelia Martínez-Rives is a general health psychologist, currently working for the “Som Imprescindibles” project (Health Promotion and Behavior Prevention Workshops Suicide and Suicide Attempts), promoted with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the Generalitat Valenciana in the province of Alicante, in Spain. She is also a PhD student at the University of Murcia on the subject of suicide in a cross-cultural study.

Ann-Marie Edwards

Ann-Marie Edwards holds a Bsc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Derby, UK, and currently a Masters student at the University of Essex. Her area of interest is the study of mental health and well-being in diverse workplace environments.

Magdalena A. Komorowska

Magdalena Komorowska is a BSc Psychology graduate from the University of Derby, UK. She is currently working for the NHS in England. She has a keen interest in NLP, psychotherapy, mental health, and Consecutive Interpreting for over 10 years.

Yasuhiro Kotera

Dr Yasuhiro Kotera is an Associate Professor for mental health at the University of Nottingham, Medicine and Health Sciences, UK. He is an Accredited Psychotherapist at the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. His research interests include mental health, self-compassion, and cross-cultural psychology.