Informed consent and the cognitively impaired geriatric dental patient.
Many geriatric patients will have cognitive impairment, sometimes temporary and other times progressive. Dentists are challenged to evaluate for the presence of cognitive impairment that can affect the consent process. This review gives an overview of types of cognitive impairments, clues to recognizing these conditions, how they affect the dental consent process, and what makes an effective informed consent. When there is doubt of a patient's capacity to consent, prudence calls for stopping dental treatment and referring the patient for a medical evaluation.
Van
Tam T
TT
Department of Dental Diagnostic Sciences and Geriatric Fellowship, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, USA.
Chiodo
Laura K
LK
Paunovich
Eleonore D
ED
D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D032882:Comprehension; D016321:Dental Care for Aged; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D016743:Mental Competency