Ethics & Law · patient case question
If the dentist does not give the patient all the treatment options, which ethical principle is violated?
Patient case: Financial constraints with 90% non-restorable teeth
Scenario: A patient with FINANCIAL PROBLEMS and 90% of his teeth NON-RESTORABLE.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Autonomy
- A. Justice concerns fairness in the distribution of care and non-discrimination in delivering it.
- B. Veracity is truthfulness. It is closely related here, but the specific failure to present the full range of options maps to autonomy and informed consent.
- C. Correct. AUTONOMY is the patient's right to SELF-DETERMINATION. Withholding treatment options — often because the dentist has judged the patient cannot afford them — removes the patient's ability to make an informed choice and is a paternalistic violation of autonomy. The patient decides what they can afford, not the dentist.
- D. Non-maleficence is the duty to do no harm — keeping skills current, knowing one's limits and referring appropriately.
Note: This is a favourite INBDE construction: 'dentist explains all treatment options' = AUTONOMY, every time.