Informed consent should be obtained for all dental procedures.
It is your legal and ethical right to understand any and all dental procedures and to either accept or refuse treatment.
There are pre-printed forms that are available that some dentists use. Please read them very carefully. I would suggest that you take them home and read them at your leisure. I would also specifically ask the dentist to put in writing all possible risks and outline what you responsibilities are as a patient ( i.e. special dental cleanings, frequency and follow up x-rays).
It
is a dentist's responsibility to inform and educate the patient
with respect to any procedure being proposed in their mouth. This includes
all pros and cons and all risks that can take place.
You need to understand exactly what the treatment or procedure is, its alternatives,
risks, consequences and outcome. As well, what happens if you do not treat.
Dentists are sued for "lack of informed consent".
In my particular case, I was not given all the pros and cons for proposed treatment
(orthodontics, bridge placement, root
canals and restoration with dental implants). In fact, I was told
I needed to replace my missing tooth in order to prevent "future jaw problems".
If I don't have "jaw problems" now with severe TMJ, I don't know
who does. It is absolutely pitiful what was done to me.
This dental work certainly created / generated a "lifetime customer" for
someone and it took away my quality of life. I have pain daily and a financial
burden that I have no idea how I will pay for.
These dentists will never be able to convince anyone that I understood and accepted all the risks associated with their "proposed" and ultimately performed dental work vs. not treating and leaving my teeth the way they naturally grew in.