title: Interactions between patients and dental care providers: does gender matter?
abstract: Research findings concerning the role of gender in patient-physician interactions can inform considerations about the role of gender in patient-dental care provider interactions. Medical research showed that gender differences in verbal and nonverbal communication in medical settings exist and that they affect the outcomes of these interactions. The process of communication is shaped by gender identities, gender stereotypes, and attitudes. Future research needs to consider the cultural complexity and diversity in which gender issues are embedded and the degree to which ongoing value change will shape gender roles and in turn interactions between dental patients and their providers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan-School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078, USA. mri@umich.edu
authors.forename: Marita R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Inglehart
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors