A patient orally agrees to a dental treatment plan after all risks, benefits, and alternatives are discussed. The patient understands and verbally accepts. This type of consent is:

Correct answer: C. Expressed consent

• A. Surrogate consent is given by another person on behalf of a patient who cannot consent for themselves.
• B. Implied consent is inferred from actions (e.g., opening mouth) — not an explicit agreement.
• C. Correct. EXPRESSED consent (also called explicit consent) occurs when a patient clearly and explicitly agrees to treatment — either verbally or in writing. When the patient verbally agrees after full discussion, this is expressed consent. This differs from implied consent (inferred from behavior) and is specific enough to fulfill the consent requirement.
• D. Informed consent is the PROCESS of providing information — the resulting agreement can be expressed verbally or in writing. While some define 'informed consent' as including express agreement, the most specific answer here is expressed consent.