Minimally Invasive DentistryChanging patient oral health behaviors
Section snippets
Background
Prevention is a central tenet of the minimally invasive dentistry approach and relies on patients to take steps to ensure the components of their oral health are well supported (Box 1). The dental professional has the role of encouraging patients to engage in oral health−related behavior by putting specific behavior change techniques into action.
The theory behind these behavior change techniques is the COM-B model, which postulates that behavior change requires capability, opportunity, and
Capability
To create capability for the patient, it's important to provide him or her with the proper information and guidance, then remind the patient. The dentist needs to understand that it's important that the patient not just hear but remember the information. Patients tend not to recall as much about future dental care as dentists believe they do.
To increase the likelihood that the patient will remember the important instructions and guidance, the dentist can perform specific actions. These include
Motivation
Motivation involves both conscious and automatic processes. Conscious processes include decision making and planning for the behavior. Automatic processes involve innate drives, emotional reactions, and habits that drive behavior. The goal is to shift oral hygiene behaviors from conscious processes to a habitual pattern of behavior.
The most important behaviors to take in creating habitual patterns are to emphasize the benefits of changing the behavior and to provide information on the patient's
Opportunity
The desire to engage in a behavior and transformation of that motivation into action are separated, but certain steps can move the patient along the path from desire to action. First, goals need to be set that will relate to the overall aim of treatment to improve oral health through a change in behavior. These goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed (SMART). Specific targets should be set, with goals forming a cumulative path toward the ultimate goal.
Second, the
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Newton JT, Asimakopoulou K: Minimally invasive dentistry: Enhancing oral health related behaviour through behaviour change techniques. Br Dent J 223:147-150, 2017
Reprints available from T Newton, Population and Patient Health, Social and Behavioural Sciences, King's College London Dental Inst, Floor 18, Tower Wing, Guy's Hosp, London, SE1 9RT; e-mail: [email protected]