Problems between the theory and practice of informed consent in dentistry in South America

Abstract

Ethical and legal aspects play a preponderant role in the dentist-patient relationship. It is necessary to review the theoretical bodies for the elaboration of the informed consent that the dental professional uses in their daily practice to foresee that the relevant concepts are included. In this work we analyzed the criteria necessary for informed consent in dentistry and evaluated its use in models employed by professionals. Eighty-one theoretical documents and informed consent models from South America extracted from the Internet were analyzed, in a selection for convenience. The theoretical data were contrasted with the models applied in professional practice. After the depuration of the 81 materials to eliminate very similar documents, 17 theoretical documents and 12 models remained. The 17 documents coincide in pointing to 10 criteria as the most relevant. On the contrary, none of the 12 models cover the 10 criteria. Seven of the informed consent models contained 6 or less criteria, while some only contemplated 4 criteria. There is a lack of agreement between the theoretical criteria accepted as important for informed consent in dentistry and the models in use by professionals.