Carole Hollins - Questions and Answers for Dental Nurses

3 During a dental appointment, patients are often provided with a lot of information by the dental team: oral health advice, treatment advice, discussions of treatment options, etc. Sometimes it may be difficult for them to clearly remember all that has been mentioned. Which one of the following options is the preferred method of reinforcing the information so that the patient remembers it?Ask a colleague to repeat itAsk the dentist to repeat itProvide it in written format Repeat it at the next appointmentRepeat it during the appointment

4 From time to time the dental team will provide treatment for patients with a disability such as reduced vision or partial sightedness. Good communication skills by the team are important in ensuring that these patients receive treatment in a safe manner and are comfortable doing so. Which one of the following options is the least likely communicative action to assist partially sighted or blind patients to undergo dental treatment?Describe likely sensationsDescribe likely soundsPlay music during treatment sessionProvide information in BrailleUse magnifiers for written information

5 Good communication skills are of great importance in encouraging patients to take an active role in managing their own oral and general health. If the person advising them has poor communication skills, the patient is unlikely to follow the advice. Which one of the following options would indicate communicators have good communication skills when advising a patient?Butting in verballyFolding their armsRolling their eyesSitting downTurning away

6 The requirement for the dental team to communicate effectively with patients is enshrined in the General Dental Council (GDC) Standards document. Which one of the following options is the specific core ethical principle of professionalism in this document that deals with the issue of communication skills?Principle 1Principle 2Principle 3Principle 4Principle 5

7 In modern dental workplaces, patients often receive various stages of treatment and oral healthcare from several members of the dental team throughout the delivery of a treatment plan. It is therefore important that all team members give the same messages so that the patient does not become confused. Which one of the following options is the most likely method used by the team to avoid giving conflicting advice to patients?Copy what the dentist says‘Google’ the topicHave a written protocol Learn the message by roteRefer to a textbook

8 Many dental workplaces deliver oral healthcare and treatment to patients in a multiracial society and for many of those patients, English is not their first language. It is important that patients understand the information they are given, otherwise they cannot give valid consent for treatment. Which one of the following options is the least effective method of giving dental information to a non‐English‐speaking patient?Allow family to interpretIssue relevant NHS leafletTalk slowlyUse ‘Language Line’ serviceUse suitable online translation

9 From time to time the dental team will provide treatment for patients with a disability such as hearing loss or profound deafness. Good communication skills by the team are important in ensuring that these patients receive treatment in a safe manner and are comfortable doing so. Which one of the following options is the least effective method of communicating with a partially deaf patient?Remove mask while talkingShout instructionsSit facing patient while talkingUse hearing loop deviceWrite down information

10 Most dental workplaces will treat patients of a wide age range, from young children to elderly pensioners, and the communication skills required by the team to treat each group successfully vary greatly. Which one of the following options is a patient age range that is most likely to respond to receiving oral health advice in short interactive sessions?PensionersPrimary schoolTeenagersToddlersUniversity students

11 Sometimes, despite the best efforts of the dental team, the ability to communicate the detrimental effects of patients’ habits or actions on their oral and general health fails. Patients have the right to make their own decisions, of course, in all matters concerning their own oral and general health, and the dental team must respect this. Which one of the following options is the most likely communication method to impress an otherwise non‐receptive patient?Accept defeat and give no further adviceProvide relevant statisticsRelay success of other patients Reprimand the patientShow a relevant photograph

12 Good communication skills are required by all members of the dental team when dealing with patients, to ensure that the patients can give consent for any treatment proposed by the team. Which one of the following options is an example of a team member showing good communication skills when dealing with a patient?Giving no informationLeaving questions unansweredSpeaking a different languageUsing clinical picturesUsing dental terminology

13 Good communication between the dental team and their patients is crucial in providing relevant oral and general health information, for the benefit of the patients. Which one of the following options is an example of verbal communication?Discussing a treatment planGiving an information leafletListening to a complaintMaking eye contactSmiling at the patient

For each of the following communication skills questions, select the single most appropriate answer from the option list. Each option might be used once, more than once or not at all.

1 Break eye contact

2 Face patient

3 Face‐to‐face session

4 Group session

5 Language line

6 Provide information in Braille

7 Roll their eyes

8 Use hearing loop

9 Use leaflets

1 A teenager attends the practice as an emergency and is diagnosed with acute necrotising ulcerative gingivitis. Following emergency treatment and then a thorough scaling, the patient will require oral hygiene instruction with regard to effective cleaning and possibly smoking cessation advice. Which one of the options listed is likely to be the most effective way of giving the advice to this patient?

2 Following the Covid‐19 pandemic of 2020, your workplace has installed a permanent glass barrier at reception to ensure the safety of staff while carrying out administrative duties, by preventing patients and visitors from encroaching into their personal space while at reception. Unfortunately, several elderly patients with hearing aids now find it hard to understand what is being said to them through the glass pane, as voices are muffled. Which one of the options listed is a technique of assisting sound transmission for these patients?

3 While closing down the surgery at the end of a clinical session, a member of staff forgot to run the disinfectant solution through the aspiration unit to clean it. The following morning the equipment was found not to be working correctly as the debris of the previous day had solidified in the pipework. Which one of the options listed is a non‐verbal communication action that indicates the member of staff responsible for the breakdown is unconcerned about the issue when challenged by the employer?

4 A patient has returned to the practice weeks after having a set of dentures fitted, complaining that they are still very loose and that they fall out when she tries to eat. Having had the dentures adjusted several times, she is demanding to have a full refund as she says the dentures are not fit for purpose. Which one of the options listed is the correct non‐verbal communication action to take in this situation?

5 The practice has organised an open day to coincide with the National Smile Week, and a local Brownies club are to attend for an organised visit. Which one of the options listed is likely to be the most effective way of providing simple oral hygiene information in this circumstance?