Questions and Answers in Oral Health Education. Chloe Foxhall
on referral from a dentist or orthodontist.
Travel out into the community to visit schools, care homes, foster homes, etc.
Provide group educational sessions to a certain target group.
Provide oral health instructions while working under supervision of a dentist.
Support clinical public health programmes/projects.
Participate in the design, development, and maintenance of oral health education materials, equipment, and visual aids.
Deliver in‐service training for healthcare/multiagency staff and to the staff in educational establishments.
Standards for the Dental Team – GDC
The GDC created the Standards for the Dental Team in 2013. They were put in place so dental care professionals have a strong understanding of what is expected of them within their role. The document contains nine principles; each principle outlines the patient's expectation, and the standards and the guidance on how this should be achieved and maintained day to day. The document clearly states that the nine principles are not placed in order of importance or priority. The standards that fall under each principle are what must be followed. The guidance is given to help meet the standards. All dental care professionals are expected to follow the guidance to provide professional judgements where necessary; if judgement is made, it should be easily justifiable if it is not in line with the guidance given. Within the document, anything that should be applied, may not apply to every situation through exceptional circumstances – which is when your judgement on how to handle the situation would be taken into account.
Principle 1 – Put Patients' Interests First
Patient expectation:
To be able to explain preferences or concerns to a professional who will listen and take all information into consideration.
To be able to express their cultures and values within the practice and be respected as an individual.
That all professionals will work honestly and with integrity.
To receive treatment from a plan that has been created for the individual in accordance with the patient's health and wellbeing.
That the environment is clean and safe.
To be able to access the practice by reasonable adjustment if the patient has a disability.
That financial gain will not be the top priority and the patient's needs will always be put first.
If any harm is suffered during dental treatment, then the staff will redress this.
That any pain or anxiety that could be experienced will be managed as required.
The following information has been extracted from the GDC Standards for the Dental Team document.
Standard 1.1 Listen to your patients
1.1.1 You must provide the patient with a full discussion on the treatment options and listen carefully to anything the patient may disclose. Welcome questions from the patient.
Standard 1.2 Treat every patient with dignity and respect at all times
1.2.1 Your body language and tone of voice should be considered on how it may be perceived.
1.2.2 You should take patients' preferences into account and be sensitive to their individual needs and values.
1.2.3 You must treat patients with kindness and compassion.
1.2.4 You should manage patients' dental pain and anxiety appropriately, to ensure the comfort of the patient being treated.
Standard 1.3 Be honest and act with integrity
1.3.1 You must justify the trust that patients, the public, and your colleagues place in you by always acting honestly and fairly in your dealings with them. This applies to any business or education activities in which you are involved as well as to your professional dealings.
1.3.2 You must make sure you do not bring the profession to disrepute.
1.3.3 You must make sure that any advertising, promotional material, or other information that you produce is accurate and not misleading and complies with the GDC's guidance on ethical advertising.
Standard 1.4 Take a holistic and preventative approach to patient care which is appropriate to the individual patient
1.4.1 A holistic approach means you must take account of patients' overall health, their psychological, and social needs, their long term oral health needs, and their desired outcomes.
1.4.2 You must provide patients with treatment that is in their best interests, providing appropriate oral health advice and following clinical guidelines relevant to their situation. You may need to balance their oral health needs with their desired outcomes. If their desired outcome is not achievable or is not in the best interests of their oral health, you must explain the risks, benefits, and likely outcomes to help them to make a decision.
Standard 1.5 Treat patients in a hygienic and safe environment
1.5.1 You must find out about the laws and regulations which apply to your clinical practice, your premises, and your obligations as an employer and you must follow them at all times. This will include (but is not limited to) legislation relating to:
the disposal of clinical and other hazardous waste
radiography
health and safety
decontamination
medical devices.
1.5.2 You must make sure that you have all necessary vaccinations and follow guidance relating to blood‐borne viruses.
1.5.3 You must follow the guidance on medical emergencies and training updates issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK).
1.5.4 You must record all patient safety incidents and report them promptly to the appropriate national body.
Standard 1.6 Treat patients fairly, as individuals, and without discrimination
1.6.1 You must not discriminate against patients on the grounds of:
age
disability
gender reassignment
marriage and civil partnership
pregnancy and maternity
race
religion or belief
sex
sexual orientation.
You must also ensure that you do not discriminate against patients or groups of patients for any other reasons such as nationality, special needs, health, lifestyle, or any other consideration.
1.6.2 You must be aware of and adhere to all your responsibilities as set out in relevant equalities legislation.
1.6.3 You must consider patients' disabilities and make reasonable adjustments to allow them to receive care which meets their needs. If you cannot make reasonable adjustments to treat a patient safely, you should consider referring them to a colleague.
1.6.4 You must not express your personal beliefs (including political, religious, or moral beliefs) to patients