Communication in Dentistry — Course Summary

This highly practical one-day course is designed to elevate how dental professionals communicate with patients, teams, and referring clinicians to improve trust, clarity, consent, and treatment acceptance.

The course focuses on real-world communication strategies that enhance patient understanding, strengthen co-diagnosis, minimise misunderstandings, and ultimately improve case conversion and long-term patient relationships. Delivered through interactive teaching, case discussions, and role-play scenarios, delegates leave with immediately applicable frameworks to transform everyday clinical conversations into structured, confident, and predictable interactions

Course Outline

1. Foundations of Effective Clinical Communication

• Principles of clear, structured patient communication

• Understanding patient psychology and behavioural drivers

• Verbal vs non-verbal communication in dentistry

• Building trust and rapport from the first interaction

2. Co-Diagnosis & Patient Engagement

• Transitioning from “telling” to collaborative co-diagnosis

• Using photography, scans and visual aids to improve understanding

• Helping patients recognise problems and value treatment

• Communicating risks, benefits and alternatives effectively

3. Consent & Ethical Communication

• Structuring predictable consent conversations

• Managing expectations and avoiding misunderstandings

• Documentation strategies for medico-legal protection

• Communicating complications and uncertainty with confidence

4. Case Presentation & Treatment Acceptance

• Presenting comprehensive treatment plans with clarity

• Handling cost discussions comfortably and ethically

• Improving conversion without pressure selling

• Language frameworks that increase perceived value

5. Managing Difficult Conversations

• Addressing objections and hesitation

• Communicating with anxious or sceptical patients

• Handling complaints and dissatisfaction professionally

• De-escalation strategies and emotional intelligence

6. Team Communication & Practice Workflow

• Aligning dentists, nurses, TCOs and reception teams

• Creating a consistent patient journey across the practice

• Internal communication that supports case acceptance

• Role-play scenarios to reinforce team confidence

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, delegates should be able to:

• Communicate diagnoses and treatment plans with greater clarity

• Build stronger patient trust and improve perceived value of care

• Deliver structured consent conversations confidently

• Manage objections and difficult discussions professionally

• Improve treatment uptake through ethical communication strategies

• Align the dental team to create a cohesive patient experience