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Ethical Scenario 19


A patient comes to your surgery querying the replacement of a missing tooth. Her English is limited and whilst she understands, she cannot convey all details fluently. She wishes to explore implants. The dentist however focusses on the provision of dentures and doesn’t fully answer the patient’s queries. Which ethical scenarios arise here?
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​​Excellent Candidate response
  • This is an issue regarding ‘effective patient communication’ (2nd GDC standard).
  • The dentist should effectively communicate all options to the patient. If the patient has language difficulties, a translator should be brought in to ensure the patient is aware of all options/pros and cons and can then make an informed decision.
  • The dentist should not ignore the patient’s queries and questions as this would be going against their best interests.