Lost in transition - changes in communication in the leap from dental student to foundation dentist

The art of communication is subtle; it is not as clear cut as other competencies in dentistry may appear but seems to cause more problems than any other. Perhaps this is why so many dental professionals fall foul of patients and colleagues not because they have done anything wrong per se, but because they failed to communicate to that party the details and implications of treatments. It is easy to overlook this aspect of clinical practice. Until recently communication was paid no real attention in dental syllabuses and even since more time has been dedicated to it, it is still difficult to teach. Communication is not always face to face. More often than not, when discussing cases with colleagues, medical or dental, the correspondence is written rather than verbal. When I was a student, the only experience I had at writing referrals was the odd case that needed specialist care and one token lecture. This article aims to outline the changes in the way professionals and students communicate with patients and each other. It would seem a common assumption that students are poorer at this competency than graduate dentists, but on the contrary the evidence may suggest the opposite.