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T H E S T U D Y : C A N D O C U M E N T I N G O L D E R A D U L T S ’ L I F E S T O R I E S I M P R O V E D E N T A L S T U D E N T S ’ E M P A T H Y ?

W H Y E M P A T H Y I S E S S E N T I A L

Have you ever felt scared to go to the dentist? You’re not alone.
Many people are nervous when sitting in the dentist's chair,
especially vulnerable patients like older adults, children, and the
economically disadvantaged. How a dentist communicates with
patients can make things go more pleasantly for both parties and
empathy is a large part of this.

Figure 1 shows the importance of empathetic communication skills

As the figure above shows, there are many benefits of empathy in dental practice. Yet, studies have
found a decrease in empathy levels among dental students (Sherman & Cramer, 2005; Nunes et al., 2011).
One reason for this could be a minimal emphasis on empathy in dental education (Nunes et al., 2011).

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