Permission to examine a patient's teeth

Correct answer: A. Informed consent

• A. Correct per the source key. Asking the patient's permission and receiving their agreement before proceeding constitutes obtaining CONSENT — the patient has been told what will occur and has agreed to it.
• B. IMPLIED consent is inferred from the patient's CONDUCT rather than from any explicit exchange — for example, a patient who sits in the chair and opens their mouth. Because the dentist here explicitly ASKED and the patient explicitly agreed, the exchange goes beyond purely implied consent.
• C. Informed refusal is documentation that the patient has DECLINED recommended treatment after being told the consequences.
• D. Proxy or surrogate consent is given by a parent, guardian or legally authorised representative for a patient who lacks capacity.

Note: For a true INFORMED consent, the elements are: diagnosis; the proposed treatment; risks and benefits; reasonable ALTERNATIVES with their risks and benefits; the consequences of NO treatment; and an opportunity to ask questions. Consent must be given voluntarily by a patient with capacity.