Book excerpt: Health Behavior Change in the Dental Practice presents an overview of health behavior change, focusing on the spirit of motivational interviewing. Targeting the clinical application of the principles, the book applies lessons learned from the field of general and behavioral medicine to the dental practice. By presenting a series of clinical examples and accompanying dialogue, the book guides the reader in using motivational interviewing techniques as tools for oral hygiene education, tobacco use cessation, and dietary counseling. Health Behavior Change in the Dental Practice supports the trend towards risk management in oral health care, offering practical guidance to promote health behavior change in patients.