The Role of Patient Education Models

Communication is an essential key in a dental clinic. These days patients are already aware and want to be further educated about their issues, prognosis and line of treatment.

The patient has the right to understand the complexities, intricacies and every aspect from the diagnosis, to the treatment and to the medication that is prescribed. This is a very important matter when it comes to the field of medicine in general and in dentistry in particular. By giving importance for patient education, this leads to an increase in patient retention and case acceptance, which are very important factors in the field of dentistry. Also, in this way, patients are less likely to discontinue appointments and will value services even more, because they now have a proper understanding of their situation.

Benefits:

• Patient friendly environment
• Better trust building between and clinician
• Easy handling of paediatric patients
• Demonstration of treatment plan
• Surgeries can be explained
• Planning of implant procedures
• Comprehendible exact imitations
• Demonstration of brushing technique
• Visualisation of steps of treatment

Dental models play a very important role in the process of patient education in the field of dentistry. Dental models are accurate three dimensional replications of a patient’s teeth, that is created by the pouring of dental plaster or acrylic into moulds of the teeth and then allowing it to harden. They are positive reproductions of a patient’s teeth and surrounding tissues obtained from a dental impression.

Using models to educate patients is a great way to go. In this way patients also feel comfortable in turning the education session into more of a conversation and put forth their doubts and queries with ease. They will feel comfortable enough to express and at the same time understand everything the practitioner has to say. Many times all it takes is just a quick simple example that patients can resonate with to put things into perspective. Setting aside a few minutes for discussion and showing openness to receiving questions are a great way of showing that there is concern beyond the process being just a dental treatment.

The benefits of using models in patients education includes:

Improves the quality of life for the patients: Oral issues and problems are common in all age groups, from children to adults, therefore using models can depict clearly what needs to be done and can help people in equipping themselves to prevent diseases and to make better lifestyle choices. Preventing the occurrence of an oral disease has a good impact on increasing the health, happiness, well being and overall comfort of the patient and hence improving their quality of life.

Better oral health literacy: This is another benefit of using models in patient education. Through this, patients can attain better oral health understanding, better comprehension of oral health and conditions, and a lesser chance of miscommunication.

Increased patient trust: In every medical profession, patient trust is a valuable asset and it is all the more essential in terms of the field of dentistry. It can also be said that a great deal of the success of a medical treatment relies on the patient. Controlling and prevention of several oral conditions such as periodontal disease requires the patient to be diligent with their oral hygiene practices along with the advice given by the doctors. There is a need for strong cooperation from the patient’s side. Taking the time to educate patients through preventive hygiene measures and ways to improve their oral health is a sign of care, it shows that the doctors have their best interests at heart and hence motivates them to listen, implement and trust their advice.

Apart from this, there are also a few other more specialised education processes where models can be utilised, such as Risk management education which focuses on highlighting areas where an issue might appear more significant. This also differs from person to person depending on their history, conditions and problems. Post Operative Care education is also another, which is mainly for educating patients who have undergone significant dental procedures and its purpose is to help them recover smoothly and avoid complications.

All in all, models are an extremely crucial and significant part of dentistry, and it must be taken seriously and must not be subject to neglect.