Professionalism in the dental practice: perspectives from members of the public, dentists and dental care professionals

Introduction This paper examines views on professionalism in the dental practice workplace through a thematic analysis of data from eight focus groups. Methods Focus groups were conducted with 19 dentists, 13 dental care professionals and 19 members of the public in England and Wales. The research was part of a larger mixed-methods study of professionalism in dentistry commissioned by the General Dental Council. Results The four most prominent themes in the focus group data were: communication, the cost of treatment, the role of the dental team and consequences of professionalism concerns. Participants agreed that these are fundamental professionalism issues, although there was some difference of opinion about addressing them. There was disagreement about the responsibilities of different members of the dental team in maintaining professionalism. Conclusion We conclude that communication skills training should be a central part of the professionalism at all levels of training. Education about team working could foster a more collaborative approach to professionalism across the dental team and support good, patient-centred oral healthcare. Support and guidance are required to help professionals reflect and learn from mistakes.