Final answer:
Active listening to a patient's oral hygiene routine can be demonstrated through maintaining eye contact, offering verbal affirmations, summarizing their statements for clarity, asking open-ended questions, and responding with empathy.
Step-by-step explanation:
To show active listening when a patient is describing their oral hygiene routine, you can demonstrate engagement in several ways. Firstly, maintain eye contact and appropriate body language, showing you are focused and interested. Secondly, offer verbal affirmations such as 'uh-huh' or 'I see' to acknowledge that you are following what they're sharing. You can also periodically summarize their statements to confirm your understanding of their routine, such as 'So you brush twice a day and floss in the evenings, correct?' This conveys that you are not only hearing but also processing the information they provide. Additionally, asking open-ended questions encourages them to provide more detail and shows that you value their input. For instance, 'How do you feel about your current oral healthcare routine?' Lastly, be sure to respond with empathy and without judgment, which helps to build rapport between you and the patient.