Implementing brief structured communication training in undergraduate periodontology education: a prospective longitudinal feasibility evaluation of dental students’ communication-related self-efficacy

Abstract Background Patient-centered communication is a core component of high-quality dental care, yet evidence on how to teach communication skills effectively within the constraints of dental curricula remains limited. Whether brief, resource-efficient communication training can produce sustained changes in undergraduate dental education remains unclear, as longitudinal evaluations are scarce and communication-related self-efficacy is rarely included as an outcome. This study evaluated the short- and mid-term changes associated with a newly introduced, brief, structured communication skills training – the Advanced Stop-and-Go Method – in dental students’ communication-related self-efficacy, operationalized as self-assessed communication competence. Methods A prospective longitudinal pre–post design with follow-up was used. Fourth-year undergraduate dental students ( n = 86) took part in a brief, structured communication training comprising a 90-minute introductory lecture, preparatory online (Moodle) material, and a practical simulated-patient session based on the Calgary–Cambridge framework and Agenda-Led Outcome-Based Analysis, delivered across two clinically authentic scenarios. Self-assessed communication competence was measured with an 11-item questionnaire (4-point Likert scale; Cronbach’s α = 0.85) before the training (T1), immediately afterwards (T2), and at 8-month follow-up (T3). A single item assessed attitudes toward patient-centered communication, and an additional 11-item evaluation captured students’ perceptions of the course at T2. Changes over time were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models with polynomial contrasts. Results Self-assessed communication competence increased significantly, with significant linear (estimate = 0.17, 95% CI 0.12–0.23, p < 0.001) and quadratic (estimate = − 0.23, 95% CI − 0.29 to − 0.17, p < 0.001) trends. Mean self-assessed competence rose from 2.94 at baseline (T1) to 3.34 immediately after training (T2) and remained elevated at 3.18 at eight-month follow-up (T3) on a 4-point scale, i.e. well above baseline. No significant effects of sex or sex-by-time interactions were observed. Attitudes toward patient-centered communication showed a pronounced ceiling effect, precluding inferential analysis. Overall course evaluation was consistently very positive. Conclusion A brief, structured communication skills training was associated with a significant short-term increase in dental students’ self-assessed communication competence that was largely maintained at 8-month follow-up. Clinically authentic scenarios, thorough preparation of instructors and simulated patients, and an iterative practice–feedback–rehearsal structure were core components of the implemented training format and may inform the design of future communication-skills courses, although their independent contributions were not evaluated in the present study. While self-assessment should be complemented by external measures in future research, the results support the feasibility of integrating such training into undergraduate dental curricula.