Consent and capacity legislation varies across the UK, however, the principles remain similar, with protective and supportive roles and responsibilities in place. Appropriate information should be shared in order to empower the patient. Every effort should be made to overcome barriers to communication, and it is essential for the dental team to have a sound understanding of legal and ethical principles underpinning assessment of capacity, thereby ensuring continued, valid consent. Patients lacking capacity to consent attempt to access primary care dental services frequently and with difficulty, with the increasing complexity of chronic medical conditions, dementia, mental ill health potentially causing social challenges. CPD/Clinical Relevance: This paper defines common terms relating to consent and capacity, provides an overview of UK legislation, and discusses practical dilemmas that the dental team may face.
Assessment of capacity is a fundamental part of everyday clinical dental practice in all settings. The legal and ethical principles underpinning assessment of capacity, and our responsibility to act in our patients' best interests must be understood by the dental team. The dental team must be aware of how and when to act in the best interests of the adult patient who lacks capacity, and where it is appropriate to seek further advice. The dental profession is in the privileged position of making decisions on behalf of patients, and must fulfil its responsibilities to this potentially vulnerable patient group. CPD/Clinical Relevance: This paper defines common terms relating to capacity, provides an overview of UK capacity legislation, and discusses how to provide care for adults who lack capacity to consent for their treatment.
The aim of this paper is to discuss the dental management of patients who have received treatment for cancer of the head and neck. Following surgical and medical management of head and neck cancers, the postoperative care has an emphasis on maximising and maintaining quality of life
Stem cell transplantation, or bone marrow transplant, is used to treat haematological disease including blood cancers. This therapy has oral health implications for patients, who need thorough preoperative dental assessment and appropriate treatment
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