[Answered]: Your next patient is Marlene, who is a new patient…

Your next patient is Marlene, who is a new patient to your practice. She is a 37 year-old married mother of 2 small children, who works part-time as a lawyer. Her chief complaint is “bleeding gums”. She left her last dental practice because she questioned if she was receiving quality dental services. The radiographs, you have taken today, show that there is very slight horizontal bone loss on her anterior teeth. Her pocket readings range from 1-4mm throughout her mouth, and there is generalized bleeding on probing. She presents with heavy plaque biofilm and moderate supra and subgingival calculus, although she states she had her teeth cleaned 4 months ago. She states that she “isn’t a very good flosser, and was always reprimanded by her former hygienist to do a better job”. She notes that she has a history of periodontal disease in her family, as both her mother and father have had “extensive gum surgeries”. She asked the dentist and hygienist in her last practice if periodontal disease was hereditary and if there was a way to predict if she also would have periodontal disease. She was told that each person is an individual, and that if she “took care of her gums”, she would be just fine. 1. What is the best way for you to handle this ethical dilemma? 2. What would Marlene’s treatment plan be and what is the best way to address her treatment plan? (You may use role-play here)