Start practicing

Ethics & Law · single question

A patient requests that his records be sent to a new provider, but he has an outstanding balance on his account. What should the dentist do?

  1. Inform law enforcement about the balance
  2. Deny the patient's request until the balance is paid in full
  3. Request 50% of the previous treatment cost be paid before releasing records
  4. Release the patient records to the new provider
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Release the patient records to the new provider

  • A. Incorrect. An unpaid dental bill is a civil/financial matter, not a criminal one. Law enforcement is not involved.
  • B. Incorrect. A dentist CANNOT withhold patient records due to an unpaid balance. Patients have a legal and ethical right to their records at any time — withholding them is a violation of patient rights.
  • C. Incorrect. Requesting partial payment before releasing records is also a violation of patient rights. There is no legal basis for this in most jurisdictions.
  • D. Correct. Patient records MUST be released upon patient request, regardless of any outstanding balance. The balance issue is handled separately (billing, collections) — it does NOT give the dentist the right to withhold records. This is both ethically (patient autonomy) and legally required.

Practice Ethics & Law questions Ethics & Law study notes

More Ethics & Law practice questions