What are the parent, adult, and child ego states and why do they matter in a dental consult? These come from transactional analysis, and they describe which role you slip into during any interaction. In the parent state you behave like your own mother or father did, sometimes scolding, sometimes overprotective. In the child state you react with emotion, fear, or play, the way you did as a kid no matter how old you are now. In the adult state you appraise reality objectively and decide logically. Big purchases need the adult state. Nobody approves forty thousand dollars of treatment from [...]