Broaching a difficult discussion

With an interest in behaviour changes of both patients and clinicians, Alison has spoken about why dental professionals may not always communicate as well as they might around the topic of oral cancer. She has presented with Jocelyn Harding on this topic.

Alison believes that providing communication skills training about HPV can assist dentists, dental hygienists and therapists in educating patients about the HPV vaccine in a clear and approachable way is so important.

She says, “There are several reasons why dental professionals may not share information with patients – the restrictions in appointment time, a lack of knowledge on the topic and a lack of confidence in how to approach the patient are all potential barriers.”