ABSTRACT
Unlike medical undergraduates, dental students actually perform treatment on patients during their training. The General Dental Council (GDC) has recognized that communication skills should be taught as part of the undergraduate curriculum, but only recently. In The First Five Years (GDC, 1997), under Skill Objectives it stated: ‘the dentist will be able to communicate effectively with patients, their families and associates, and with other health professionals involved with their care’. Under Communication Skills it stated: ‘instruction in communication skills is an important aspect of the education of the dental student. As with teaching in psychology and sociology, it can best be undertaken on a collaborative basis by individuals dedicated to the subject and by clinical dental teachers. Initially it may be taught in role-playing situations and with simulated patients. Eventually, however, it will be the basis of students’ care of their own patients’.
