Legal and Ethical Issues in Treating Adolescent Patients

Adolescent patients may present with unique and challenging ethical dilemmas and legal considerations during dental treatment. From the moment the patient registers with the practice, the issues of medical history, informed consent, treatment decisions, and role of the patient and parent affect the dynamic of the doctor-patient relationship. Providers are challenged with balancing the physical, psychological, and social changes occurring in these patients and the changing relationships between the patients and their parents/guardians. State laws, practice standards, and consumerism in dental practice all affect the relationship between the practice, the adolescent, and the parent/guardian.