Chandrasekharan Nair K¹*, T Mohan Kumar², Hemalatha Konka³, Pradeep C Dathan⁴, J Janaki Krishna⁵ and Vishak M Kumar⁵

¹Professor Emeritus, Department of Prosthodontics, Sri Sankara Dental College, Akathumuri, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
²Director, Centre for Temporomandibular Disorders, Kunnukuzhi, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
³Registrar Prosthodontist, Al Harkan Dental Hospital, Al Qassim, Saudi Arabia
⁴Professor and Head of the Department of Prosthodontics, Sri Sankara Dental College, Akathumuri, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
⁵PG Student, Department of Prosthodontics, Sri Sankara Dental College, Akathumuri, Trivandrum, Kerala, India

*Corresponding Author:Chandrasekharan Nair K, Professor Emeritus, Department of Prosthodontics, Sri Sankara Dental College, Akathumuri, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.

Received: June 03, 2026; Published: July 01, 2026

Doctor-patient relationship is built on positive patient experiences, driven by an individual’s fundamental need to be seen, heard, and cared for. Over two millennia ago, Hippocrates advised his disciples “to cure sometimes, to relieve often, and to comfort always”—a timeless principle that remains highly relevant even in the present context. While clinical comfort is perceived subjectively, it fundamentally relies on trust and empathy. When words are insufficient, comfort can be delivered through non-verbal cues such as a warm smile, open posture, forward leaning, gentle touch, eye contact, and affirmative nodding. These subtle interactions leave lasting impressions on the patients. Ultimately, clinical communication hinges on the principle that patients do not care how much a clinician knows until they know how much that clinician cares. Even when a cure is unavailable, comfort is always achievable. This review outlines the fundamentals of communication skills essentially to be acquired by each and every healthcare professional.

Keyworda: Doctor Patient Communication; Dentist Patient Communication; Communication Skills; Listening; Body Language; Empathy; Friendliness; Competence

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Citation

Citation: Chandrasekharan Nair K., et al. “Fundamentals of Doctor Patient Communication – A Narrative Review". Acta Scientific Dental Sciences 10.7 (2026): 46-54.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Chandrasekharan Nair K., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.