Professional Responsibility in Dentistry

Professional Responsibility in Dentistry: A Practical Guide to Law and Ethics integrates dental law, risk management, professionalism, and ethics, as all are interrelated in everyday practice. Beyond theory, the fact-based approach of this book shows examples of various situations the dentist may face. Dr. Graskemper addresses a range of topics, from legal concepts and regulation of dentistry to professionalism and ethics. He points out specific issues in the practice of dentistry, particularly those that confront new dentists and dentists with new practices. True Cases throughout the book walk readers through real-world examples of complex situations and discuss the proper way to handle them with attention to the legal, ethical, and practice management ramifications. These include patient charting, professional criticisms, child neglect, associateships, patient refunds, and more.

Autorentext
Joseph P. Graskemper, DDS, JD, is a practicing dentist who also holds a law degree. His practice experience includes being the sole owner of a multi-specialty practice for twenty years in San Diego, California, an expert witness for more than twenty years, a published author of journal and magazine articles in the U.S. and internationally, and a speaker at dental conferences across the U.S.. Dr. Graskemper is the past director of professional responsibility and the past editor of the Post Graduate Literature Review Journal at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, where he is an associate clinical professor.

Inhalt

Acknowledgments xi

Part I: Legal Concepts 3

Chapter 1: The Lawsuit 5

True Case 1: Miscarriage due to endodontics 5

True Case 2: Changing the chart 6

True Case 3: Saving the case for trial 7

Reference 8

Chapter 2: The Regulation of Dentistry 9

True Case 4: Dental state board case of fractured porcelain 10

Federal oversight 11

True Case 5: OSHA 13

Licensure 15

Continuing education 16

Permits 17

Professional misconduct and unprofessional conduct 18

True Case 6: Forfeit of license 19

True Case 7: Lost his license 19

Auxiliary personnel 20

True Case 8: Assistant extracted tooth 20

Advertising 22

True Case 9: Dental society denial 23

References 23

Chapter 3: Definitions and Legal Concepts 25

True Case 10: Amalgam tattoo = melanoma 26

True Case 11: Divorce due to parasthesia 27

True Case 12 (True Case 1 Revisited): Lawsuit due to dentist’s criticism 27

References 31

Part II: The Practice of Dentistry 33

Chapter 4: The Doctor–Patient Relationship 35

True Case 13: Food for fillings 36

True Case 14: No pay, no crown 39

References 39

Chapter 5: May You Refuse To Treat? 41

References 42

Chapter 6: The Medical-Dental History 43

True Case 15: Only Boniva 44

True Case 16: Only heart surgery 45

Reference 46

Chapter 7: Child Abuse 47

True Case 17: Child neglect 49

References 49

Chapter 8: Informed Consent 51

True Case 18: Implants include the teeth 52

True Case 19: Signed consent? Forgery 55

True Case 20: Two for one 56

True Case 21: Teenage pregnancy 57

True Case 22: Lawyer threatens: write off patient’s balance or be sued 58

References 59

Chapter 9: Records 61

References 67

Chapter 10: Statute of Limitations 69

Reference 71

Chapter 11: Abandonment 73

True Case 23: Patient outsmarts dentist 76

References 76

Chapter 12: Standard of Care 77

Challenges 85

References 86

Chapter 13: Peer Review 87

True Case 24: Peer review 88

References 88

Chapter 14: Risk Management 89

True Case 25: Too many “near misses” 91

The dos and don’ts of risk management 91

If you are sued 96

True Case 26 (True Case 6 revisited): Dentist leaves state 96

True Case 27 (True Case 2 revisited): Changing the chart 97

Practice enhancement through risk management 98

True Case 28: Who knows what is going on? 99

References 104

Chapter 15: Employees and Associates 105

True Case 29: Extra-long vacation 107

Reference 107

Part III: Professionalism and Ethics 109

Chapter 16: Professionalism 111

References 116

Chapter 17: Ethics 117

True Case 30: Patient doesn’t want referral 118

True Case 31: I don’t want my teeth 119

True Case 32: Fractured porcelain 121

True Case 33: No pay, no treatment 123

References 125

Chapter 18: Professional Ethical Situations Based on True Cases 127

Part IV: New Dentist Issues 131

Chapter 19: Associateships 133

True Case 34: Dentist reopened next door 135 True Case 35: Dentist takes all patient records to new office 135...