A hygienist's guide to difficult conversations

As frontline guardians of oral health, dental hygienists play a crucial role in helping to identify subtle changes that could point to larger health issues. Having these difficult conversations requires deep empathy and a commitment to understanding a patient's emotional journey. 

It's important for dental hygienists to understand how their words and demeanor impact a patient's experience, and that starts with knowing the difference between empathy, sympathy and compassion. Generally, empathy is about understanding, sympathy is about feeling, and compassion is about actively helping. 

When giving a patient explanations or referrals, remember to acknowledge their emotions. This allows them a safe space to process their reactions. Additionally, try to explain your findings in clear, relatable terms rather than using technical jargon. Finally, after providing a careful explanation, give the patient time and space to process the information until the initial shock wears off. 

Read more: RDH Mag

The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.