Ethics & Law · single question
A female restorative patient returns with bruises on her eye and lip. Best action?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Ask the patient directly what happened and document it in the chart
- A. Incorrect. Ignoring possible abuse fails the duty of care.
- B. Incorrect. The dentist (not the assistant) should sensitively address it directly with the patient.
- C. Incorrect. For a competent ADULT, mandatory reporting generally is not automatic without consent/confirmation; reporting laws differ from those for children/elders. First gather information.
- D. Correct. The appropriate first step with an adult is to privately and non-judgmentally ask the patient what happened and accurately document observations in the record; this guides any further (consent-based or mandated) action.