POLITNESS STRATEGIES (BROWN AND LEVINSON) IN DENTAL PRACTICE: A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF PATIENT PREFERENCES
POLITNESS STRATEGIES (BROWN AND LEVINSON) IN DENTAL PRACTICE: A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF PATIENT PREFERENCES

Summary/Abstract: This study investigates the use of politeness strategies in dental practice from a pragmatic perspective, with a particular focus on patient preferences and their implications for clinical communication. Drawing on the theoretical framework proposed by Brown and Levinson, the research examines how different types of politeness - positive politeness, negative politeness, bald on record and off-record - are perceived by patients in the context of dentist-patient interaction. Empirical data were collected through a questionnaire administered to a sample of 45 dental patients, aimed at identifying preferred communicative strategies during clinical encounters. The results indicate a clear predominance of positive politeness strategies, especially those based on the construction of shared goals and the use of the inclusive pronoun we, which contribute to the establishment of a cooperative therapeutic alliance. Off-record strategies and negative politeness are moderately preferred, reflecting patients’ sensitivity to face protection and autonomy, while bald on record strategies are least favored and appear acceptable mainly in functionally constrained situations requiring efficiency and clarity. Based on these findings, the paper proposes a set of operational recommendations and formulations for dental practitioners, illustrating how pragmatic awareness can be translated into communicative practice. Overall, the study highlights the relevance of pragmatic politeness as a key component of effective and patient-centered dental care.

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