A gentle nudge

For many years now I’ve been absolutely fascinated by the small things that influence and encourage us to behave in certain ways. These small ‘nudges’ and ‘pushes’ may lead us to choose one brand over another, or even alter our daily routine.

As dental professionals we are in a prime position to similarly influence how people behave, though generally speaking, we are not very good at it. This may be because we don’t have the time, desire or even financial incentive to have a lasting impact on people’s lives. After all, we only see patients for a limited period, and changing behaviour takes time. Simply giving advice very rarely works as people listen, leave the practice, and return to their normal routine as they have no motivation to follow up on the things that we suggest.

The problem is that many people are not inclined to take advice if they don’t see immediate benefits. Take blood pressure tablets for example. This medication has very low levels of compliance as patients don’t see any direct benefits and therefore don’t appreciate the difference the medication makes. While a doctor may note a five-point drop in systolic blood pressure, this figure is completely academic from the patient’s point of view. It’s not until they actually meet someone who has suffered a stroke that they realise the awful consequences high blood pressure can create. The same is true of oral hygiene.