‘Nudging’ your patients toward improved oral health

ABSTRACTBackgroundBehavioral economics combines research from the fields of psychology, neurology and economics to help people understand how people make choices in complex social and economic environments. The principles of behavioral economics increasingly are being applied in health care. The author describes how dental team members can use behavioral economics principles to improve patients’ oral health.ConclusionsDental patients must make complex choices about care, and dental team members must provide information to patients to help them make choices. Patients are subject to predictable biases and are prone to making errors. Dental team members can use this information to “nudge” patients in healthy directions by providing an appropriate mix of incentives, default options and feedback.Practice ImplicationsThe suggestions the author presents may help dental team members choose strategies that maximize both patient welfare and the success of their practices, while preserving patient autonomy.