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Role Play Scenario 12


A 12 year old, Zoe, comes for her routine dental appointment. She is brought in by her mother. The mother says that Zoe shows no interest in her oral health, often forgetting to brush her teeth and eating poorly. She asks you to quickly speak to her daughter.
In this role play, you will speak to Zoe.
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​Excellent Student Approach
1.         Introduction
2.         Open Questions
3.         Develop Rapport
4.         Address the issues known
5.         Identify any additional issues
6.         Summary and plan going forward
 
1 - Introduce yourself to Zoe and ask how her she is.
2 - Commence with an open statement or question asking how Zoe is today and following this up with a slightly more focused but nonetheless open question such as; ‘your mother has asked me to speak to you about oral health. Any idea why this might be?’
3 - Don’t be condescending - try to understand Zoe’s point of view and be as informative as possible.
4 - Let Zoe answer your first question. Dependent on what she says and her tone, adjust what you say next to ensure you are able to have a productive conversation. The key here is to hone in on why she is so disinterested in maintaining a good standard of oral health, and then in turn to learn if there is anything you can do to change her behaviour.
5 - Explain that taking the time to do very small things now will help save a lot of trouble in future - neglecting her teeth can have serious consequences, like decay, or bleeding and receding gums. Ensure you make caring for her teeth seem easy, and remind her that a good oral hygiene routine will quickly fade into part of her daily routine.
6 - Ask if she has learnt anything from your conversation, or if she intends to change anything. If she still seems uninterested, explain again that you are trying to do your best for her and to help her. Ask her to bear what you have said in mind, and that you will give her and her parents leaflets to help.