Behavioural and cognitive‐behavioural theories in oral health research: Current state and future directions

Abstract

Conceptualizing about the reasons why people (e.g. in the population at large, dental patients, oral healthcare practitioners, policymakers, funders and others) engage in behaviour to maintain or improve oral health guides us in trying to understand and predict it. A basic distinction, of course, is between internal (i.e. intrinsic) and external (i.e. extrinsic) forces on behaviour. 1,2 It is well-established that the tendency is for most of us to assume internal causes for our successes, external causes for our failures and internal causes for the behaviour of others. 3 In the oral health domain, most behavioural and cognitive-behavioural approaches have focused on the individual patient or person, or perhaps on parents or caregivers. There have been initiatives addressing the behaviour of oral healthcare

Exploring and describing current behavioral and social sciences curricula in predoctoral dental programs

“…Third, future efforts should monitor trends and update content and methods to reflect the skills dentists will need in the future. In recent years, behavioral sciences have significantly advanced in the understanding of patients, clinicians, and care teams 18,19 . What was taught a decade ago may no longer be as relevant.…”

“…In recent years, behavioral sciences have significantly advanced in the understanding of patients, clinicians, and care teams. 18,19 What was taught a decade ago may no longer be as relevant. Moreover, technological advances should be tracked and incorporated into student training.…”