Behavior guidance symposium Workshop B report - training implications

The purpose of Workshop B was to discuss the implications of this symposium for training of pediatric dental residents and predoctoral dental students, as well as continuing education for general dentists as related to behavior guidance. Participants also considered the implications of the symposium proceedings for practice in terms of informed consent, practice patterns, and provision of information to patients regarding behavior guidance. Workshop B identified a variety of dental educational methodologies used to promote understanding among dentists who provide pediatric dental care to diverse populations. There was a consensus that the indications, use, and documentation of basic behavior guidance techniques need to be defined and clarified by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and disseminated appropriately. Workshop participants called for the development of asynchronous learning activities such as webinars and instructional videos to further educate dental providers treating children and to legitimize the techniques with parents, healthcare providers, and the general public. Major recommendations from the workshop included: 1) solicit, support, and fund research in behavior guidance for diverse populations, 2) clarify best practices for the use and documentation of basic behavior guidance techniques, 3) identify and define new behavior guidance techniques, 4) promote training in motivational interviewing, 5) encourage integration of symposium proceedings throughout dental education curricula, 6) encourage mentorship networks among general dentists treating children and geographically contiguous pediatric dentists, and 7) develop a library of informational videos for parents and the general public about appropriate behavior guidance techniques used when treating children in dental settings.