A dentist confirms that a dental assistant in the practice is abusing substances. What would be the MOST inappropriate next step?

Once substance abuse is confirmed in a dental healthcare worker, the dentist has ethical and legal obligations to act — continuing to observe without intervention is the most inappropriate response because it jeopardizes patient safety and ignores the duty of care. Appropriate actions include: referring the assistant to a professional assistance program (EAP or therapist), taking the assistant out of direct patient care if patient safety is at risk, and potentially reporting to the state dental board depending on jurisdiction. Paying for treatment is not an obligation but may be offered as part of a compassionate response. Immediate dismissal may be legally permissible but is not necessarily the first step.