Content area
Full Text
RESEARCH INSIGHTS
Motivating motivation
Motivational interviewing in general dental practice: A review of the evidence Br Dent J 2016; 221: 785791; http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2016.952
Why wont patients do what they are told? is a sentiment posed by many a practitioner since the beginning of time; or least since the advent of when the roles of patient and professional were rst enacted. Yet recently we have seen t to modify this to a rather more conciliatory tone taking into consideration our understanding that in order to get the best co-operation from the patient we need rst to engage them and motivate them to behavioural change. The theory is that by doing so, rather than telling them what we think is best for them in a paternalistic or even dictatorial way, there is a greater likelihood of a successful outcome.
So, does the theory transfer into practice? Answering this question was the key objective of this study which systematically reviewed the evidence regarding the use of motivational interviewing in the context of general dental practice. This was in order to discover whether practitioners might decide if it could be an important skill to...