SHARED DECISION MAKING: A FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENT OF PATIENT-CENTERED CARE FOR DENTAL PATIENTS

When dental patients seek care to reduce—or preferably eliminate—existing oral health impact, or when such impact is anticipated in the future, to prevent it from occurring; ideally, they do this in partnership with the oral healthcare provider in a shared decision-making (SDM) process. This process is essential to achieving an optimal oral health care experience for patients and providers alike and the best treatment outcomes, that is, what dental patients want to accomplish when seeking care. Objective: This report presents foundational knowledge about SDM and the characteristics that shape SDM for the dental patient. It presents SDM as a part of the dental encounter—the interaction between a patient and a dental provider in which dental services are provided. This report also introduces a new concept, the four-dimensional dental encounter (4DE), in which the patient-clinician interaction centers around (i) the patient’s four-dimensional, that is, functional, painful, esthetical, and broader psychosocial oral health impact, (ii) the treatment options to address existing or prevent future impact from occurring, (iii) the patients’ preferences for these options. Conclusion: Given the new concept 4DE, dentistry as a field is well-positioned to reexamine how it engages patients, to meet patients where they are. Through 4DE, SDM for the dental patient can be more patient-centered by optimizing the patient’s care experience, improving treatment outcomes without increasing costs.