Oral Health Promotion Across the Team

Oral Health Promotion Across the Team supports I 1.5. For dental nurses this means keeping prevention messages consistent between the surgery, reception and wider services.

Communication in dental nursing is practical patient-safety work. It underpins consent, dignity, reassurance, recordkeeping, handover, prevention and escalation.

In practice this appears in everyday moments: a patient who looks unsure, a receptionist asking for guidance, a dentist working through a busy list, a trainee needing feedback, a digital message, a handover, or a colleague worried about raising a concern. Interpersonal skill is the ability to respond with care, clarity and professional judgement.

Practical markers

• Notice: what the patient, colleague, situation or system is communicating.
• Choose: a communication method, team route or escalation step that fits the context.
• Respect: role boundaries, confidentiality, dignity, cultural needs and emotional impact.
• Check: understanding, responsibility, handover and whether the next person has the information they need.
• Follow up: through records, feedback, supervision, team discussion or concern-raising where needed.

Useful language can be simple: "Can I check how the patient would prefer us to explain this before we continue?" The wording is calm and professional and gives the team a clear reason to pause, clarify or escalate.

SPF behaviour links

Spoken, written and electronic communication with dental and wider healthcare colleagues helps dental nurses protect patient dignity, team trust and safe care.