Candidate card · Dentistry

You are the dentist

Bleeding gums without blame

Setting: Preventive dental clinic

Ravi Mehta, 35, reports six weeks of bleeding during interdental cleaning. Examination shows gum inflammation, without facial swelling or acute systemic symptoms.

Task

  • Explore why bleeding led to avoiding cleaning.
  • Explain the assessed gum inflammation without blame.
  • Offer professional cleaning and a personalised demonstration.
  • Confirm the four-week review and when to contact the service earlier.
Bleeding gums without blame consultation plan
  • The examination found gum inflammation; the supplied plan is professional cleaning and a personalised home-care demonstration.
  • The clinician will demonstrate the cleaning method rather than expect the patient to infer it from a leaflet.
  • A review is booked in four weeks to assess progress.
  • New facial swelling or feeling acutely unwell requires prompt contact with the dental service.
  • Ravi Mehta, 35, reports six weeks of bleeding during interdental cleaning. Examination shows gum inflammation, without facial swelling or acute systemic symptoms.

Fictional scenario information supplied for this examination exercise; not medical guidance for real patients.