A MORE SUCCESSFUL DENTAL EXAMINATION THROUGH BETTER COMMUNICATION PRACTICES AND SELF-UNDERSTANDING

Most dentists understand the fundamental techniques involved in conducting a dentalexam. They have been trained in medical science and from a clinical point of view they know theitems on a checklist to perform a thorough exam. The art of the exam is going beyond theperformance of professional practice skills and requires the dentist to look at each patientinteraction as a unique experience. Since no two individuals are alike, each interaction is unique,thus requiring a different set of behaviors and attitudes. One of the components of the artistry ofthe dental exam involves communication skills. Here the dental professional embarks on aprocess of being creative and not simply functional