Communication Skills Teaching Methods in Dental Education - a Review

Communication skills of dentists have been demonstrated to be part of the good dental practice. The aim we set ourselves in this study was to review the literature related to the methods of teaching communication skills at dental faculties, and develop a handout in the Bulgarian language about leading a successful conversation with a patient.According to some authors, the most important principles for effective communication training include the use of practical exercises, clinically relevant scenarios, students' self-assessment tools, videotapes, participation of patient actors, and training in small groups. Another communication training program is the so-called Miller pyramid. Using the method of objective structured clinical examina-tion (OSCE) can also be an effective way of teaching communication skills to dental students. The conclusion to be made is that communication skills should be taught across the entire dental curriculum as this leads to better understanding and sufficient outcome.