Cultural factors affecting behavior guidance and family compliance

Culturally effective care is all about relationships and these involve interpersonal interactions with patients and parents from diverse cultures. Important aspects of effective cultural care include understanding and respecting the role of family, the concept of time, the social structure, and the concept of fate in health. This overview will give examples of some cultural issues and offer basic skills in communication and tips for working with an interpreter. Skills such as ask-tell-ask, teach back, the explanatory model using the four C's of culture, and motivational interviewing are discussed. The goal of these strategies is to build strong supportive relationships needed to support change in behavior and optimal dental health.