commentary C D A J O U R N A L , V O L 4 8 , Nº 9
Treatment Planning: Making a Case for Its Ethical Importance Gary Herman, DDS
a b s t r ac t The treatment planning process is a continuing source of problems
associated with current practices in dentistry; it is difficult to teach well and deals with a wide range of ethical principles and behaviors that are critical to the maintenance of the profession and to successful practice today.
AUTHOR Gary Herman, DDS, teaches at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry and lectures on ethics, dental law and patient management. He is past chair of the ADA Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs and was a member of the CDA Judicial Council. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.
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hen I was asked to contribute to this issue featuring ethics, I chose to focus on a topic that is both significant and timely. Treatment planning is an important procedure in dentistry for several reasons. The treatment planning process is a source of problems for many dentists currently practicing. It is difficult to teach well in school due to the complexity of options and the variability of faculty,1 and it deals with a wide range of ethical principles and behaviors that are important to the profession and to a successful practice. I will make a case that helps dental practitioners in different practice settings understand that spending the time and effort at the beginning of treatment is a good way to develop patient rapport, prevent misunderstandings and provide a basis for patient communication that will help achieve the goal of patient-centered, ethical quality care.
What Is Treatment Planning?
A treatment plan is defined by the American Dental Association (ADA) as “the sequential guide for the patient’s care as determined by the dentist’s diagnosis and is used by the dentist for the restoration to and/or maintenance of optimal oral health.2 Although that sounds relatively simple and straightforward, the process of achieving that plan is complex, with many places for individual variations, personal practice values as well as many opportunities to skip steps and take shortcuts. Treatment planning has three primary and necessary components that are integral to the overall process: the patient examination, the development of the treatment plan and the treatment presentation. The first component of treatment planning is the examination. All examinations should include a thorough evaluation of the patient’s past and present medical history, the patient’s medications and supplements, recent
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