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Book Description

'Achieving Oral Health' is now in its third edition having been extensively revised. This well-established book provides an excellent introduction to the understanding of the role and importance of psychology in dentistry for undergraduate dental students. Personal communication between dentist and patient is of primary importance in dental practice. Dentist-patient relationships can present problems when patients are nervous or require particular forms of care and an awareness of the views and expectations of individual. This book provides the means to understand, prevent and treat many of the difficulties encountered by dentists. It describes the principles of psychology and sociology applied to dental practice, giving specific guidelines on the most effective way to deal with psychological problems, such as anxiety and pain. This new edition places more emphasis on the link between the sociological and psychological aspects of care related to public health and health promotion concerns. Awareness of these issues continues to increase in line with growing research output, and their importance is stressed in current General Dental Council Recommendations for the dental undergraduate curriculum. The subsequent surge in interest and understanding of the issues involved in dental anxiety, preventive health care, dentist-patient relationships and the care of specific patient groups means that an updated text covering these areas is extremely timely.

 

Contents

Foreword (Professor F C Smales); Acknowledgements; 1. Challenges for modern dentistry: Achieving oral health; Aims of the book; References; 2. The social context of oral health: Definitions of health; What is oral health? Variations in oral health; Social class; The contribution of the dentist to achieving oral health; Summary; Practice implications; References; 3. Lay and professional contributions to oral health: Formal and informal health care activity; Health behaviour and illness behaviour; Accessing primary dental care; Becoming a dentist; Summary; Practice implications; References; 4. Helping patients to achieve oral health: Models of health behaviour; The educational approach; The motivational approach; Designing a preventative programme; Summary; Practice implications; References; 5. The nature and causes of anxiety: The nature of anxiety; The causes of anxiety; Summary; Practice implications; References; 6. Alleviating anxiety: Modelling; Reducing uncertainty; Emotional support; Relaxation; Cognitive approaches; Choosing between interventions; Summary; Practice implications; References; 7. Pain: The experience of pain; Measuring pain; Alleviating pain; Summary; Practice iomplications; References; 8. Special groups: Orthodontics; Elderly patients; Patients with handicaps; Mental health problems; Summary; Practice implications; References; 9. Communication and consent in dental practice: Communication; Teaching communication skills; Ethical issues; Summary; Practice implications; References; Index.

 

Reviews

"... Achieving Oral Health has much to offer the concerned dental practitioner and student, in helping to understand the needs of their patients. For the public health professional it gives an insight into the social science literature that underpins much of the activity surrounding oral health care." - Gillian Bradnock, Community Dental Health (1998) 15, 286-287 "Good for years 1-4." - Andrew Hill, Senior Lecturer, Psychiatry & Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds