A dentist wants to end the professional relationship with a patient who repeatedly behaves abusively toward staff. The patient has no treatment in progress. Which of the following is most appropriate?

  • Correct answer

    Notify the patient, allow reasonable time to find another dentist, stay available for emergencies in the meantime, and transfer records on request

  • Remove the patient from the schedule without notice

  • Refuse to release copies of the patient's records

  • Continue treating the patient because a dentist may never end a patient relationship

This question is one of 15 in AFK practice: Prevention, infection control and ethics. Test yourself on all of them.

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Explanations

  • A dentist may end a professional relationship, but doing so without notice or emergency coverage can amount to abandonment. Duty of care continues until the patient has reasonable time to find another provider, and the records must remain available to the patient.

    Source: Ozar, Sokol and Patthoff, Dental Ethics at Chairside — oneguy

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