The Front OfficeKeeping faith with patients
Section snippets
Background
Suppose a patient comes to a new dentist after having experienced care that caused her to lose faith in her previous new dentist and perhaps in dentistry overall. A case history and ethical analysis were offered.
Case History
The patient had seen the dentist for a routine examination and cleaning and was told she had a cavity in her lower right molar and in several other teeth. A restoration was placed, then the patient began experiencing pain in the tooth, which had been asymptomatic previously. She complained for several months about the pain until the dentist said she needed a crown, to which she agreed. After the crown was done, her pain intensified, so the dentist replaced the first crown with a second one,
Ethical Analysis
The American Dental Association’s Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct (ADA Code) guides practice in these situations. First, because the patient was not offered endodontic retreatment, she may not have been fully informed of the available options and could not make an appropriate treatment selection. The self-governance principle addresses both the dentist’s duty to respect the patient’s rights to self-determination and confidentiality and the importance of having patient
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Beard D: Dealing with good intentions that go bad. J Am Dent Assoc 146:70, 72, 2015
Reprints available from the American Dental Association Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs, 211 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611