Top ten consent tips

Top Ten consent tips
Dentists are responsible for performing procedures that may have some impact, whether major or minor, on the health and wellbeing of their patients. As a means of enhancing the autonomy of patients, dentist has to obtain patients’ informed consent for all treatment. Regardless of the quality of the dental work and the outcome of the procedure, dentists may become subject to formal complaints if they fail to obtain informed consent. Based on our extensive experience providing legal advice to dentists and representing them in regulatory proceedings, we have prepared the below list of 10 legal tips for obtaining consent in dentistry.
consent is our 1st line of defence, a little long but covers most aspects👇🏻
3. Ensure that consent is obtained for each part of the treatment plan
It is important to explain every stage of treatment to patients, and to obtain informed consent for each stage. As patients generally do not have the same specialized knowledge as dentists, they may consent to one procedure without realizing that their overall treatment plan entails multiple related but separate procedures. This kind of issue may arise particularly in the context of billings or after there is an adverse treatment outcome.

4. Ensure that consent is current
Patients can revoke consent prior to or even during a procedure. Dentists should think of consent as an ongoing conversation with patients, and should take steps to ensure that consent is up-to-date. If there is a gap in time between the date of the initial consent and the date of the procedure, dentists should confirm that the patient continues to provide their consent. Dentists should inform patients of any unforeseen circumstances that may arise during a procedure and seek consent if this change supports altering the treatment plan.

To be continued………