Learning time: ~ 40 minutes

The teenage years are full of contradictions: They want independence but struggle to make a simple phone call. They insist on doing things themselves but won’t come to the dentist alone. They want freedom from parental supervision, but struggle to make responsible choices about their oral health. 

These paradoxes present challenges for both the teens themselves and the adults in their lives.

In this module, Dr. Zuzana Neupauer will help you view adolescents through a psychologist’s lens to understand why they behave the way they do and what you, as the oral health professional, can do to best support them and their oral health journey.

What you will learn

  • Why motivating a teenager is fundamentally different from motivating a child
  • How the adolescent brain develops, and what that means for oral health behaviour
  • Why peer influence, autonomy, and short-term rewards matter so much
  • How to adapt your care for teens with additional challenges such as mental health issues, eating disorders and neurodiversity