Behaviour Change and Implementation Factors

Behaviour Change and Implementation Factors supports meeting P 3.11. For dental nurses, this requires sufficient knowledge to support patients, assist colleagues and follow safe systems while remaining within scope.

Sustainable oral healthcare covers environmental impact and patient adherence. Prevention reduces avoidable treatment, appointments, waste, travel and distress by helping patients maintain oral health.

What to notice in practice

• Cost: signpost to current information and escalate clinical or financial uncertainty.
• Training: ask what the patient or colleague needs next, then hand over or escalate clearly.
• Habits: ask what the patient or colleague needs next, then hand over or escalate clearly.
• Patient understanding: ask what the patient or colleague needs next, then hand over or escalate clearly.
• Team buy-in: make roles, messages and next actions clear enough for colleagues to act safely.

Dental nurses can influence sustainability through stock rotation, waste segregation, preparation, reinforcing prevention messages, managing appointment flow and speaking up when an environmental suggestion would compromise safety, infection prevention and control (IPC) or patient understanding.

Good practice is practical and visible: prepare for appointments, listen to patients and colleagues, check understanding, hand over clearly and report recurring problems so they can be addressed formally.

Research and system context

Sustainable oral healthcare must be safe, preventive, evidence-informed and realistic for patients.