The candidate card
Setting
Dental clinic
Candidate
You are a dentist. Mr Iwan Gwilliam, aged 22, is a university student who has come in with pain around his lower right wisdom tooth for three days. On examination the tooth is partially erupted, and the gum flap over it is red, tender and has food trapped beneath it. There is no facial swelling, he can open his mouth normally and his temperature is normal. Your diagnosis is mild pericoronitis. He is flying overseas in four days.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out about Mr Gwilliam's symptoms and his travel plans
- Explain the diagnosis and why removing the tooth or prescribing antibiotics is not recommended today (healing time before flying, no signs of spreading infection)
- Reassure him about managing the problem while he is away
- Explain today's treatment and home care (cleaning under the gum, mouth rinses, pain relief, warning signs needing urgent care)
- Agree a plan, including assessment for removal after his return
In the test you get 3 minutes to read the card and plan, then about 5 minutes to talk. This card is original, written for this site; the interlocutor's card is not shown.
How to approach this card
- Ask about the pain first, then the trip: when he leaves, where he is going and for how long. Do this before explaining anything, because the plan depends on these details. Do not assume what he wants done.
- Describe the diagnosis in simple pictures: a gum flap over a partly erupted tooth, trapping food. Then give your two decisions with reasons, tied to what you found today: no swelling, normal mouth opening and normal temperature.
- The trap is that a 'no' to extraction and antibiotics can sound like dismissal. Pair each one with what you will do today, and describe the findings as observations today, not a promise that nothing will change.
- For home care, say exactly how to clean under the flap, what to rinse with and how to manage pain. Give the warning signs as one complete list, with where to get urgent care while he is overseas.
- Close by confirming he can repeat the warning signs and knows where to seek care abroad, then book assessment for removal after his return. If time is short, prioritise the reasons, warning signs and follow-up.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- Let's work out what you'll need while you're away, so you feel prepared.
- This decision is about timing around your flight, and I'll explain why.
- Can you tell me which signs would mean you should get help straight away?
- I'll show you how to clean under the flap, then you tell me how you'd do it.
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| pericoronitis | Inflammation of the gum flap over a tooth that has only partly come through. |
| partially erupted | Only partly pushed up through the gum, so a flap of gum still covers some of it. |
| spreading infection | Infection moving out from the gum around the tooth into the surrounding tissues. |
How this card is marked
Two assessors mark the recording on nine criteria: intelligibility, fluency, appropriateness of language and resources of grammar and expression (each 0–6), then relationship building, understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective, providing structure, information gathering and information giving (each 0–3). Grade B usually means 5 on each language criterion and 2 on each clinical one. See the AI Speaking practice guide for what each criterion looks for.
More Dentistry role-play cards
- Dentist: early childhood tooth decay and a defensive parent Dental clinic
- Neglected oral care in a parent with dementia Dental clinic
- Dentist: root canal treatment or extraction for an anxious patient Dental clinic
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Dentistry.
Questions about this role-play
How do I explain no antibiotics without him feeling short-changed?
Anchor it to your findings: no facial swelling, normal mouth opening and normal temperature, so no sign the infection is spreading. Present cleaning, rinses and pain relief as the active treatment, and say you would reassess if his symptoms change.
What if he asks for the tooth to be taken out today anyway?
Acknowledge the request and explain it in terms of healing time before the flight. Then offer assessment for removal after he returns. Do not promise a date for the extraction, as the card does not give one.
How much should I say about managing this abroad?
Keep it practical. He should know the warning signs and that he must seek urgent care locally if they appear. Work out with him how he would find that care before he leaves, rather than just telling him to see someone.
Sources
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