As with other walks of life the profession of dentistry saw unprecedented change during the last century. Amongst other things, litigation, which is a part of everyday life, has evolved and spread its growing influence on dentistry. Though the litigation and claims are prevalent in almost all countries however, the western countries have been at the forefront of Dental negligence claims. In a way, it is a sign of an informed and mature society.
Dentistry in India has been relatively immune to the effects of litigation against dental professionals for a multitude of reasons. But its will not be long before it envelops every aspect of dentistry in India. Dental legislation has its pros and cons; it serves to be a system, which protects patients as well as professionals, but as with other spheres of law, will be subjected to abuse. This article attempts to address the core issue of patient consent, which is where the majority of dental negligence claims arise.
Informed Consent: A Delicate Balance. J Am Dent Assoc 2006;137(8): 1060–62.
Risk management in clinical practice: Part 2. Getting to ‘yes’ – the matter of consent. Br Dent J 2010;209:71–74.
A new perspective on dental malpractice: Practice enhancement through risk management. J Am Dent Assoc 2002;133(6):752–57.
Guiding and Managing the Child Dental Patient: A Fresh Look at Old Pedagogy. J Dent Educ 2001;65:1369–77.
Consent: the patient's view - a summary of findings from a study of patient's perceptions of their consent to dental care. Br Dent J 2001;191:36–40.
Informed Consent in 2001: “Don't Leave the Office Without It”. Published by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario. June 2001.
Risk Versus Cost. J Am Dent Assoc 2006;137:288b–290b.
Importance of risk communication and decision making in cardiovascular conditions in older patients: a discussion paper. Qual Health Care 2001;10(Suppl I):19–22.
Informed decision making in an outpatient practice. J Am Med Assoc 1999;282:2313–20.
Principles of Biomedical Ethics; 5th ed. New York City: Oxford University Press 2001:57–103.
The relationship between patient and professional. In: Dental Ethics at Chairside: Professional Principles and Practical Applications. 2nd ed. Washington: Georgetown University Press 2002;49:53–54.
Public attitudes toward dentists: a US household survey. J Am Dent Assoc 1995;126(11):1563–70.
The ADI Dental Implant Protocols. Produced by the Association of Dental Implantology, UK, 1998.
