Prosthetic treatment setting: ethic, clinic and medical-legal implications

OBJECTIVES An odontologist must be inspired by a professional behavior according to the full respect of both the principles and the ethical values of the patient's medical management, all in order to achieve the most accurate technical realization of a prosthetic treatment plan in line with "state of the art". The aim of this article is suggest and analyze a kind of responsible approach to patient and allows the prosthetic dentist to rise a defense against any possible legal medical litigation, nowadays so extremely actual in these times of affliction towards healthcare. At the same time, it will allow the professional to exercise "conscious dentistry" without necessarily resorting to "defensive dentistry", which, at the end, is likely to undermine the assumptions on which a serene practice of the profession must be based upon. MATERIALS AND METHODS From his side, the professional is highly recommended to gather in the most comprehensive way, and to preserve over time, all of the patience's clinical documentation such as: anamnesis, privacy form, informed consent, photos and radiographs, clinical diary, estimates and official billing reports. Needless to say that in case of litigation, lack of such elements will represent an obvious disadvantage for the dental practitioner, being in itself synonymous of negligent behavior. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Instauration of a solid link between dentist and patience is an indispensable element in both the initiating and following of a therapeutic act. Sharing of information associated to diagnosis and planning of the treatment - as well as the possible therapeutic options, timing of intervention, choosing of materials and payment methods attached to the quote - have to be considered beyond any doubt part of care time.