Parents First: How Motivational Interviewing Changes the Way We Communicate, Set Expectations and Build Cooperation in Pediatric Dentistry
Traditional advice-giving has limited impact on long-term behaviour change in families dealing with early childhood caries, and our attempts to “fix” the problem often fail to stop the disease or achieve sustainable results. Motivational Interviewing (MI) offers a different approach: a collaborative, parent-centred framework that strengthens engagement, reduces resistance, and supports families in taking ownership of oral health.
The session covers practical MI skills—open questions, reflective listening, affirmations, summarizing, and MI-consistent advice-giving—and illustrates how these techniques can be integrated into everyday paediatric practice. It demonstrates how MI enhances the effectiveness of minimally invasive caries treatment, how it supports parents in recognising the underlying causes of disease, and how clinicians can transition from technical problem-solvers to behavioural coaches. Participants will learn to recognise change talk, avoid the righting reflex, and build cooperation even in complex cases involving communication barriers, behavioural challenges, or anxiety.
The theoretical principles are supported by a practical case illustration, showing a remarkable transformation in a young child with severe caries once communication shifted toward partnership and internal motivation. By integrating MI into daily practice, paediatric dentists can create more child-friendly care, foster a collaborative atmosphere in which parents feel understood, strengthen parental ownership of disease management, and achieve more stable long-term outcomes.
Very brief abstract
Motivational Interviewing (MI) offers a parent-centred and collaborative alternative to traditional advice-giving, which often fails to achieve sustainable behaviour change in early childhood caries. This lecture introduces key MI skills and shows how they enhance minimally invasive caries management, strengthen cooperation with families, and support parents in recognising the causes of disease. Through clinical illustration, the session demonstrates how MI improves communication, increases parental involvement, and leads to more stable, child-friendly long-term outcomes.