burnout,” according to the authors of a 2022 study2 about how medical residents use language. The language that dentists employ can influence how they see their patients and their relationships with them. The CDA Dental Patient with Special Health Care Needs Transition Tool provides guidance about using respectful language with patients with special health care needs. “Language is a powerful tool that can reflect biased attitudes and beliefs. Some words can make a person feel uplifted or supported, while others can make a person feel disrespected or stigmatized,” quotes the transition tool. As a best practice, the dental team should always ask patients and their families or caregivers to confirm their language preferences. “Person-centred language places emphasis on the individual as a whole human being first, not their disability, condition, or diagnosis,” adds the CDA transition tool. “Using person-centred language helps to avoid the assumption that a person’s disability or condition is a characteristic of their personal identity, therefore placing the patient’s condition or disability as secondary to who the person is.” Though many patients prefer person-first language, not all do. For example, some people may prefer “Deaf” instead of “person who is deaf,” because they identify with a community of people with a common culture and language. “As a best practice, the dental team should always ask patients and their families or caregivers to confirm their language preferences. Making thoughtful language choices can enhance collaboration and help strengthen patient outcomes in terms of meeting their individual oral and overall health goals,” according to the CDA tool. Person-first language: Acknowledges the person first and foremost and places any diagnosis, condition, or disability in the context of the whole person. Examples of person‑first language include “people with disability” and “person with multiple sclerosis.” Strength-based language: Emphasizes people’s strengths, abilities, and opportunities, instead of their challenges, conditions, or perceived deficiencies. For example, “Gerald uses a communication device” rather than “Gerald is non-verbal.” Anti-stigma language: Aims to avoid labels or perpetuate stereotypes. Instead of labels, use words or terms to communicate what a person has instead of what a person is. For example, “Judy has type 1 diabetes” rather than “Judy is a diabetic.” Tips on Using Person-First Language 34 | 2023 | Issue 2 SupportingYour Practice
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