Start practicing

Ethics & Law · single question

A patient comes to you with crowns and bad restorations from the last dentist. What would you do?

  1. Tell the patient the previous dentist did a bad job
  2. Tell the patient to redo restorations and criticize the previous dentist
  3. Refuse to treat the patient
  4. Refer the patient to the previous dentist
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Refer the patient to the previous dentist

  • A. Speaking negatively about a colleague's work violates professional ethics (collegial respect) even if the restorations appear deficient.
  • B. Being judgmental about previous dental work violates professional ethics and potentially exposes the dentist to legal liability.
  • C. Refusing to treat a patient who needs care (without valid reason) could constitute abandonment.
  • D. The ethical approach is to refer the patient BACK TO THE PREVIOUS DENTIST first to give that dentist an opportunity to address any issues. The ADA Code of Professional Conduct ('Principle of Veracity') and collegial ethics recommend against disparaging colleagues. If the patient has concerns, they should be advised to discuss them with the previous provider. If referral is refused or inappropriate, you may then proceed with care without making negative judgments about the previous dentist's work.

Practice Ethics & Law questions Ethics & Law study notes

More Ethics & Law practice questions