Best Practices for Dental Consent Forms for Treatment

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, dental practices perform more than 500 million dentistry procedures each year. From root canals to dental restorations, Americans are serious about dental health.

As a dentist, you should always secure dental consent forms for treatment to get permission from patients. You may leave your practice open to legal troubles if you don’t obtain consent forms for dental treatment.

Learn about the best practices for consent forms below.

Understanding Dental Consent Forms for Treatment

A dental consent form is designed to let a patient know about treatment recommendations from a dentist.

Some practices only ask people for verbal consent to get approval before procedures instead of asking them to sign a document. You should aim to obtain a patient’s consent to ensure they understand a treatment plan. A consent form carries a bigger legal and ethical significance in document form.

The Importance of Informed Consent

Getting informed consent from a patient before an examination or procedure and having them sign a document is important for the following reasons:

• Legal protection shields a dentist against malpractice claims when you can refer back to the permission you obtained
• Patient rights let a person know about the procedure you’ll perform during an appointment and list its risks

Key Components of an Effective Dental Consent Form

Dental consent forms for treatment should include the following components:

• Treatment options, including the recommended option
• Risks and consequences to highlight the risks associated with a treatment
• Duration of treatment so patients know what to expect in terms of length
• Patient consent, which provides places to sign (a parent may sign a consent form for a pediatric patient even if the parent isn’t having a procedure)

Best Practices for Implementing Dental Consent Forms

Here’s how to start using dental consent forms:

• Voluntary Consent: Make sure a patient isn’t coerced to sign a consent form
• Informed Consent: Explain the risks of a procedure in an informed consent form
• Sane Consent: Verify a patient understands a consent form

Handling Refusals and Amendments

If a patient won’t sign a consent form or you need to change a consent document, here’s what to do:

• Documenting Refusals: Ask a patient why they won’t sign a consent form
• Amending Consent Forms: Create a new consent form if a recommended treatment changes

Digital Solutions for Informed Consent Forms

Digital consent forms allow for obtaining consent from a patient in document form. These forms are simple to fill out and can improve your practice’s efficiency and compliance. Weave has digital forms to elevate your practice.

Advantages of Using Weave

These are the benefits of trusting Weave to provide digital consent forms:

• Integration: They seamlessly integrate with practice management systems.
• Efficiency: They streamline the consent process.
• Security: They keep patient information safe.

Discover How Weave Can Help Your Dental Practice

Asking your patients to sign dental consent forms for treatment can prevent legal problems. It can also guarantee that patients get the treatment they expect and are informed about each risk involved. Get a demo of Weave’s comprehensive digital consent form resources.