Minimal intervention in dental care.
High-quality appropriate dental care should encompass the concepts of effectiveness and efficiency. Many dental procedures are ineffective, and some preventive measures are inefficient. Examples of criteria that are ethically essential to use before carrying out any clinical procedure are outlined based on the concepts included in 'informed consent'. Applying the criteria rigorously will lead to minimal intervention and a more equitable distribution of appropriate dental care. Unnecessary dental care will be reduced.
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK. a.sheiham@ucl.ac.uk
Aubrey
A
Sheiham
D003729:Dental Care / Q000592:standards*; D004526:Efficiency; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom