So, you went to the dentist and have a problem with a tooth. It should be simple to figure out what to do with that tooth, right?! You'll just listen to the dentist and do what they say to do. But instead, you are faced with OPTIONS. There are a few options and they are confusing . How do you choose what is best for you? Why didn't the dentist just tell you one option and do that one? Why does the dentist have to be so confusing?
Informed consent is very important for dentists to get prior to initiating any treatment with a patient. Informed consent, by definition, is "the permission granted in the knowledge of the possible consequences, typically that which is given by a patient to a doctor for treatment with full knowledge of the possible risks and benefits." (Languages.oup.com) In order for you to be able to give a dentist your informed consent, you must be fully aware of your conditions and options to treat said conditions.
Sometimes this process is easy, for example, you have a cavity and it requires a filling to fix. Easy peasy lemon squeezy... you do the filling, problem solved. However, sometimes this process is a bit more murky. For example, you have a missing tooth and can replace it with a removable prosthesis, a fixed bridge or an implant. All the treatments have risks and benefits and if none are "perfect" then you will be presented with all viable options.
Being able to give informed consent is dependant on you fully understanding your condition(s) and the risks and benefits of the treatment options. So, I am going to jump onto a soap box here and say MAKE SURE YOU ASK QUESTIONS OF YOUR DENTIST AND BE YOUR OWN DENTAL ADVOCATE. If something doesn't make sense to you ASK the appropriate questions. IF you still don't have clarity, get a second or third opinion. As a provider with over 15 years experience, I am pretty comfortable with the discussions I have with patients. I am confident that the patients fully understand their conditions and the risks and benefits of treatment options I have presented. However, I will gladly invite patients to get second opinions to help them determine which treatment path is best for them.
Dentists do not necessarily know your time restraints, core values,financial abilities and other factors that must be taken into account when you decide on a treatment option. We give you multiple options because there can be more than one way to treat some conditions and you have the right to know what those options are. This is NOT a decision your dentist can make for you. THE POWER OF DECISION MAKING IS TRULY IN THE HANDS OF THE PATIENT.
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