While there are differences between the relationships a patient might have with a doctor compared to the one the patient might have with the dentist they’re both still important in the patient’s life. Though the relationship with a dentist is likely to be less personal than the one you share with your doctor it is still important to your overall well-being and your dentist like your doctor should, because of their medical background, have your best interests at heart when considering procedures and any other treatments you may need for your dental health. Considering that the relationship between dentist and client is supposed to in the best interest of the patient, in this particular case I would disagree with endodontist going ahead and agreeing with the patient’s proposed plan of getting a root canal done on each of his teeth because the patient’s teeth are healthy and the procedure would result in the removal of healthy tissue, also the bill would be huge for a procedure the client doesn’t actually need. Therefore, this procedure would not be in the best interest of the client’s dental health.
I agree with Melissa. As stated above, the primary concern of a doctor and dentist is the patient's health. An extensive root canal on every tooth is a very unnecessary procedure. He has no medical need for the root canals to be done, and it would involve removing the healthy tissue from each of his teeth. Having considered the factors presented, I do not believe the endodontist should accede to Patrick M's desires. I also believe the physician/patient relationship is very similar to the dentist/patient relationship. In both situations, the patient seeks aid from the dentist and physician for medical reasons with their best health in mind.
I too agree with the above comments. You may feel like you have a closer relationship to your doctor than to your dentist, the reason why however varies from person to person. Some may feel like their doctor is more involved in their life and they have a need to know certain information, while people at the dentist may feel like they are just making small talk. Whatever the reason, the dentist still has an obligation to protect their patient's health, and give their patient the full respect they deserve, just like any other doctor would. I do not agree with Patrick's decsion on a root canal for all of his teeth. This would be a major risk for infection number one, and number two, there is no reason to remove healthy tissue unless it is afflicted by something that is going to impair its function, and cause harm to the body. Some preventative measures are acceptable, such as flossing, brushing daily, etc..., however removing all of the healthy tissue from your teeth just to prevent a disease to me is not justifiable. The finances as Melissa had said would be outrageous and this kind of debt is unnecessary.
I agree with the girls above that doctors generally have a close relationship with patients than dentists. Both doctors and dentists have to abide by confidentiality acts, and work in the best interest of their patient. In comparing the two, if the dentist performed a root canal on all of this patient's teeth, it would be similar to a doctor performing an appendectomy, and removing a patients gallbladder for the pure purpose of avoiding any future complications. The request is absolutely absurd. Like Camille said, the risk for infection increases and the costs costs are outrageous.
Sounds like this patient needs to be referred to a mental health professional. I do feel like there is a significant difference between a dentist-patient relationship and a doctor-patient relationship. Although they both are health care professionals, a patient is going to divulge more information to the doctor then to the dentist. Nothing against the dentist, I love my dentist, but the extent of my conversations with him are yes I've brushed and flossed everyday since my last appointment and no I have not had any problems. I feel that the relationship with the dentist is limited to the mouth. With reference to the second question I agree with everyone that the endodontist should not perform the root canals. There is no medically benefit to removing them all, and many risk ensue with multiple root canals.
I agree with the others above in that the patient and dentist relationship should be treated much like a doctor patient relationship. A dentist is as much responsible for the health of ones teeth as a doctor is for the health of the rest of you. I would also expect my dentist to abide by many of the same rules as a doctor would, including confidentiality.
I think however, that as long as this patient is sure that this is what he wants to do, has been explained the side effects involved in this, and still wants to do it, then the dentist should perform the procedure. As long as the procedures pose no long term issues for the patient, and it is a safe procedure, I see no reason why the patient shouldn't be allowed to have the root canals done if that is what he chooses.
I don’t think that there is any difference between the doctor and a dentist. They both have PhD’s behind their name, they both had to take the oath, the only difference is that one deals with the whole physiological body while the other one specializes in the mouth. The dentist should not do what the patient wants on the account that the risks outweigh the benefits. If it just so happens that he needs to go into survivor mode, there are plenty of ways to keep your teeth in check. As for the time being, the patient is not in survival mode and therefore the dentist needs to realize that this is not beneficial to the patient.
I agree with everyone when they say that no matter if it's a doctor or dentist, the relationship should be treated the same. I know i have trust in both my dentist and doctor. I trust both of them because they have gone to school and both have PhD’,s as the comment above stated. I think, that the dentist shouldn’t l go through with the patient’s wishes even if he knows the consequences and is continuing to ask for help. There are many other ways to help the patient feel better and to stop having throbbing than wanting to have root canals to each of their teeth. In this case, maybe the dentist should sit down with the patient again and let them know that their teeth are not in dire need of repair and there are other things to do to make your teeth feel better.
Like everyone else, I too agree with all them. A doctor and a dentist's relationship with a patient is the same because the patient comes to them with concern about their health, and the patient trusts them. The only difference is that they deal with different areas of the body. Even though a patient has a right to autonomy, I don't think the dentish should go through with the patient's desires. The dentist needs to explain to the patient that it is too dangerous to do that procedure on healthy teeth. However, the dentist can show the patient that he can go into survival mode without the procedure, and still keep healthy teeth. Like the dentist can teach the patient how to brush his teeth well and do it a certain times a day to prevent cavities. Also, things like how to floss correctly and to use things like mouth wash. He can do these things to prevent from ever having cavities without going through a procedure that could damage his healthy teeth.
i agree with other classmates in the situation that there is no differnce between the dentist-patient and the physcian-patient relationship. Both relationships should involve trust and decisions should be made in the patients best interest. i then agree with Marion on the concept that if the endodonist is willing to go through with what the patient wants, although it is not necessarily in the patients best interest, that he should accede to Patrick's desires. The way i see it is that it would be no different than removing the healthy tissue of a female's breasts due to cancerous history in the family, not your personal body's condition. Also, what about plastic surgery?? Surgeons perform many surgerys a day that are extremely expensive and can cause infections just as the root canals could. These surgerys remove and alter healthy tissue and anatomy. Do people question their ethics??
I feel that the physician-patient relationsip is similar in ways to the dentist-patient relationship. I agree with other students when saying both relationships should have trust involved and always be in the best intrest of the patient. I think if I was the endodontist I would not feel comfortable doing the procedure. The doctor could explain to Patrick why he does not feel comfortable doing it. If Patrick still wanted to do the procedure the endodontist could refer Patrick to another doctor.
I also agree that the dentist-patient relationship is much similar to the physician-patient relationship. In both cases the patient's views, desires, and medical procedure consent should be taken into account before they can elucidate the conditions and risks involved with the patient's certain medical treatment options. In this excerpt it is the same scenario where the patient, Patrick M, is in serious pain and agony as a result of his diseased teeth and he had procedure that he desired to performed by his dentist. I think the dentist should talk with Mr. Patrick M about the consequences (both pros and cons)of performing "root canal" on every tooth besides the cost. If the patient was still competent and insisted on having the procedure done, then the dentist should do what he thinks is ethically right. If by any means the dentist does not feel comfortable performing the "root canal" procedure on every tooth, then he should feel free to refer Mr. Patrick M to another dentist.
.....After I re-read this excerpt and finding that Mr. Patrick M wanted this procedure done so that he doesn't suffer any toothaches in the future, I think still the dentist is obligated in letting him know how risky this will be since it's a disease that should be performed on "diseased tooth" and not health tooth. The dentist should also take into consideration Mr. Patrick's competency and also whether he has fears for 'toothaches'- hence would never want to experience one, and also it would be paramount to check the patient's medical history and if he has had any tooth aches before....
I agree with the fact that a patient-dentist relationship is going to be much less personal than a patiet-physician relationship. The dentist is only concerned with information that deals with your teeth, whereas the doctor is going to ask questions that deal with every part of your body. I agree with everyone else when it comes to the removal of healthy tissue. If it works, why try to fix it? There is no need for the endodontist to perform root canals on all of the teeth. It even seems unethical for the endodontist to do such a thing when it doesn't need to be done, and then accept such a large amount of money.
I think that a physician-patient relationship is more involed, but only because a physician deals with the entire body. But, it shouldn't be more important than a dentist-patient relationship. They are both considered doctors and they should both be looking out for the best of the patient. If there is no reason to be pulling all of the teeth, then the denstist should not pull all of them. No matter how much the patient wants them to be pulled, the densist should explain to the patient that the procedure is not needed and the tissue surrounding the teeth is still healthy.
I do agree with brittany that a physician-patient relationship is more involved. The physician deals with the whole body and is seen more often. Both relationships should have the same type of respect for each other though. They are both doctors and should respect the patient just as the patient should respect the doctors. I think the dentist should not pull all the teeth if it is not nescesary. Pulling all those teeth puts the patient at greater risk for other complications. The dentist is looking out for the patient by not performing that procedure because the dentist is also saving the patient money.
I agree with Danielle, Brittany, and Melissa. The physician-patient is more personal of a relationship but a dentist-patient is still important. The dentist still takes care of the patient but it is more localized to just the mouth. I do not think the dentist should remove all of his teeth. The dentist said thst Patrick's teeth are healthy and he does not see any reason to suspect that there will be problems. If his mouth was gross and had cavities and gum problems, then yeah, it might be a good idea. but Patrick does not seem to be in any danger of root canals. I think the dentist should explain this to Patrick and try to make him understand. If Patrick still wants to go through with it, the dentist might have to tell him to find somewhere else if he's umcomfortable with doing it.
I agree that physicians have a more personal relationship with patient's than a dentist, but they are equally important. I believe that performing the root canals would be unethical because the dentist has no medical reason to do so. It could be beneficial to the patient, but it would destroy healthy teeth. If the patient's teeth are healthy, then I believe the dentist should sit down with the patient and explain to him that his teeth are healthy and he does not see a reason to perform root canals on all his teeth. He should also discuss with him that the root canal could go wrong and he could actually lose a tooth or other side effects of root canals.
Dentists should develop a personal relationship with their patients as doctors do. Physician-Patient relationship maybe more vital, but both are still necessary. The dentist should make an appointment with Patrick to discuss why he thinks Patrick should not go on with the procedure and the consequences, should something to wrong. I think the patient should know all sides of a situation before continuing with it. Patrick's reasoning may sound crazy, but if he is willing to pay for it and suffer consequences, then the dentist should perform it.
I also agree that the physician- patient relationship is more involved than the dentist-patient relationship. I believe that because we as patients we go to the doctors more than we do go to the dentist. Like we go to the doctors most of the time when we are sick unless one is stubborn and does not go when they are sick. where as one goes to the dentist every sick months. I agree with others in that performing the root canals would not be the right thing to do. Patrick does not even have any problems with his teeth in the first place, he just does not want it to happen later on. Therefore, i don't think that the dentist should perform the surgery. He would just be taking about good blood vessels and nerves. I also believe that the dentist should state to Patrick that infection is common after root canal which may help Patrick to not proceed in wanting to get the root canals done on all of his teeth.
Although there may be some difference in the care that dentists and doctors provide, their main purpose is the same, health. They are both there for the health of the patient. Therefore their relationship to the patient should not differ much. As far as Patrick's desire to have all of his teeth desensitized, there needs to occur a conversation about the purpose of this procedure. The Dentist needs to explain to Patrick that if the teeth are not diseased and this procedure is performed more harm could occur. If Patrick only wants this procedure because he is afraid of having a toothache I'm sure that when the Dentist explains of the possible infection when performed on healthy teeth Patrick may chage his opinion. If Patrick doesn't change his mind and still wants the procedure the Dentist should not perform it because it could cause great harm to Patrick thus resulting in moral stress and possibly a lawsuit for the Doctor.
Every physician has a specialized field or general area of work so their involvement with pts is going to vary. With a family doctor for example, a pt may need to go to him/her for several things during the year such as checkups, physicals, any health issues. For a dentist though a pt may only go to him/her two or three times a year or every two years for a cleaning unless other circumstances exist such as health problems or braces. So a family doctor my be more involved with his/her pts more than a dentist. I believe the endodontist should give his medical school advice to the pt and if he doesnt believe it would be a gain for his health then he can offer to send him to another dentist.
Doctors and dentists both have an obligation to help their patients, as well as to do no harm. The endodontist is right to be hesitant about performing root canals on all of Patrick's teeth. This is a costly, painful, and difficult procedure, which is totally unnecessary. The dentist has no obligation to treat him. Risks of infection would outweigh the minute risk of needing root canals in the future. Instead, the dentist should recommend ways for Patrick to practice good oral hygiene, but to leave it at that.
I have always thought it was very strange that the only medical problem that general physicians do not treat is the teeth! If you have a toothache and you go to the ER, they dont have a dentist on call to give you a filling or a root canal. It just seems bizarre to me, but I guess it is a rather large sub-field of medicine.
I agree with the majority of the posts. If I were to walk into my doctors office and demand they remove my tonsils even though there is nothing wrong with them, they would think I was nuts. It is a pointless procedure, that would not benefit me in anyway, but could potentially be harmful. The pt in this case wants a pointless procedure. It is important to remember that there is risk associated with even the most simple of procedures, thus the endodontist should not oblige Patrick's demand.
While there are differences between the relationships a patient might have with a doctor compared to the one the patient might have with the dentist they’re both still important in the patient’s life. Though the relationship with a dentist is likely to be less personal than the one you share with your doctor it is still important to your overall well-being and your dentist like your doctor should, because of their medical background, have your best interests at heart when considering procedures and any other treatments you may need for your dental health.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that the relationship between dentist and client is supposed to in the best interest of the patient, in this particular case I would disagree with endodontist going ahead and agreeing with the patient’s proposed plan of getting a root canal done on each of his teeth because the patient’s teeth are healthy and the procedure would result in the removal of healthy tissue, also the bill would be huge for a procedure the client doesn’t actually need. Therefore, this procedure would not be in the best interest of the client’s dental health.
I agree with Melissa. As stated above, the primary concern of a doctor and dentist is the patient's health. An extensive root canal on every tooth is a very unnecessary procedure. He has no medical need for the root canals to be done, and it would involve removing the healthy tissue from each of his teeth. Having considered the factors presented, I do not believe the endodontist should accede to Patrick M's desires. I also believe the physician/patient relationship is very similar to the dentist/patient relationship. In both situations, the patient seeks aid from the dentist and physician for medical reasons with their best health in mind.
ReplyDeleteI too agree with the above comments. You may feel like you have a closer relationship to your doctor than to your dentist, the reason why however varies from person to person. Some may feel like their doctor is more involved in their life and they have a need to know certain information, while people at the dentist may feel like they are just making small talk. Whatever the reason, the dentist still has an obligation to protect their patient's health, and give their patient the full respect they deserve, just like any other doctor would. I do not agree with Patrick's decsion on a root canal for all of his teeth. This would be a major risk for infection number one, and number two, there is no reason to remove healthy tissue unless it is afflicted by something that is going to impair its function, and cause harm to the body. Some preventative measures are acceptable, such as flossing, brushing daily, etc..., however removing all of the healthy tissue from your teeth just to prevent a disease to me is not justifiable. The finances as Melissa had said would be outrageous and this kind of debt is unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the girls above that doctors generally have a close relationship with patients than dentists. Both doctors and dentists have to abide by confidentiality acts, and work in the best interest of their patient. In comparing the two, if the dentist performed a root canal on all of this patient's teeth, it would be similar to a doctor performing an appendectomy, and removing a patients gallbladder for the pure purpose of avoiding any future complications. The request is absolutely absurd. Like Camille said, the risk for infection increases and the costs costs are outrageous.
ReplyDeleteSounds like this patient needs to be referred to a mental health professional. I do feel like there is a significant difference between a dentist-patient relationship and a doctor-patient relationship. Although they both are health care professionals, a patient is going to divulge more information to the doctor then to the dentist. Nothing against the dentist, I love my dentist, but the extent of my conversations with him are yes I've brushed and flossed everyday since my last appointment and no I have not had any problems. I feel that the relationship with the dentist is limited to the mouth. With reference to the second question I agree with everyone that the endodontist should not perform the root canals. There is no medically benefit to removing them all, and many risk ensue with multiple root canals.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the others above in that the patient and dentist relationship should be treated much like a doctor patient relationship. A dentist is as much responsible for the health of ones teeth as a doctor is for the health of the rest of you. I would also expect my dentist to abide by many of the same rules as a doctor would, including confidentiality.
ReplyDeleteI think however, that as long as this patient is sure that this is what he wants to do, has been explained the side effects involved in this, and still wants to do it, then the dentist should perform the procedure. As long as the procedures pose no long term issues for the patient, and it is a safe procedure, I see no reason why the patient shouldn't be allowed to have the root canals done if that is what he chooses.
I don’t think that there is any difference between the doctor and a dentist. They both have PhD’s behind their name, they both had to take the oath, the only difference is that one deals with the whole physiological body while the other one specializes in the mouth.
ReplyDeleteThe dentist should not do what the patient wants on the account that the risks outweigh the benefits. If it just so happens that he needs to go into survivor mode, there are plenty of ways to keep your teeth in check. As for the time being, the patient is not in survival mode and therefore the dentist needs to realize that this is not beneficial to the patient.
I agree with everyone when they say that no matter if it's a doctor or dentist, the relationship should be treated the same. I know i have trust in both my dentist and doctor. I trust both of them because they have gone to school and both have PhD’,s as the comment above stated.
ReplyDeleteI think, that the dentist shouldn’t l go through with the patient’s wishes even if he knows the consequences and is continuing to ask for help. There are many other ways to help the patient feel better and to stop having throbbing than wanting to have root canals to each of their teeth. In this case, maybe the dentist should sit down with the patient again and let them know that their teeth are not in dire need of repair and there are other things to do to make your teeth feel better.
Like everyone else, I too agree with all them. A doctor and a dentist's relationship with a patient is the same because the patient comes to them with concern about their health, and the patient trusts them. The only difference is that they deal with different areas of the body.
ReplyDeleteEven though a patient has a right to autonomy, I don't think the dentish should go through with the patient's desires. The dentist needs to explain to the patient that it is too dangerous to do that procedure on healthy teeth. However, the dentist can show the patient that he can go into survival mode without the procedure, and still keep healthy teeth. Like the dentist can teach the patient how to brush his teeth well and do it a certain times a day to prevent cavities. Also, things like how to floss correctly and to use things like mouth wash. He can do these things to prevent from ever having cavities without going through a procedure that could damage his healthy teeth.
i agree with other classmates in the situation that there is no differnce between the dentist-patient and the physcian-patient relationship. Both relationships should involve trust and decisions should be made in the patients best interest.
ReplyDeletei then agree with Marion on the concept that if the endodonist is willing to go through with what the patient wants, although it is not necessarily in the patients best interest, that he should accede to Patrick's desires. The way i see it is that it would be no different than removing the healthy tissue of a female's breasts due to cancerous history in the family, not your personal body's condition. Also, what about plastic surgery?? Surgeons perform many surgerys a day that are extremely expensive and can cause infections just as the root canals could. These surgerys remove and alter healthy tissue and anatomy. Do people question their ethics??
I feel that the physician-patient relationsip is similar in ways to the dentist-patient relationship. I agree with other students when saying both relationships should have trust involved and always be in the best intrest of the patient. I think if I was the endodontist I would not feel comfortable doing the procedure. The doctor could explain to Patrick why he does not feel comfortable doing it. If Patrick still wanted to do the procedure the endodontist could refer Patrick to another doctor.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the dentist-patient relationship is much similar to the physician-patient relationship. In both cases the patient's views, desires, and medical procedure consent should be taken into account before they can elucidate the conditions and risks involved with the patient's certain medical treatment options. In this excerpt it is the same scenario where the patient, Patrick M, is in serious pain and agony as a result of his diseased teeth and he had procedure that he desired to performed by his dentist. I think the dentist should talk with Mr. Patrick M about the consequences (both pros and cons)of performing "root canal" on every tooth besides the cost. If the patient was still competent and insisted on having the procedure done, then the dentist should do what he thinks is ethically right. If by any means the dentist does not feel comfortable performing the "root canal" procedure on every tooth, then he should feel free to refer Mr. Patrick M to another dentist.
ReplyDelete.....After I re-read this excerpt and finding that Mr. Patrick M wanted this procedure done so that he doesn't suffer any toothaches in the future, I think still the dentist is obligated in letting him know how risky this will be since it's a disease that should be performed on "diseased tooth" and not health tooth. The dentist should also take into consideration Mr. Patrick's competency and also whether he has fears for 'toothaches'- hence would never want to experience one, and also it would be paramount to check the patient's medical history and if he has had any tooth aches before....
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that a patient-dentist relationship is going to be much less personal than a patiet-physician relationship. The dentist is only concerned with information that deals with your teeth, whereas the doctor is going to ask questions that deal with every part of your body. I agree with everyone else when it comes to the removal of healthy tissue. If it works, why try to fix it? There is no need for the endodontist to perform root canals on all of the teeth. It even seems unethical for the endodontist to do such a thing when it doesn't need to be done, and then accept such a large amount of money.
ReplyDeleteI think that a physician-patient relationship is more involed, but only because a physician deals with the entire body. But, it shouldn't be more important than a dentist-patient relationship. They are both considered doctors and they should both be looking out for the best of the patient. If there is no reason to be pulling all of the teeth, then the denstist should not pull all of them. No matter how much the patient wants them to be pulled, the densist should explain to the patient that the procedure is not needed and the tissue surrounding the teeth is still healthy.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with brittany that a physician-patient relationship is more involved. The physician deals with the whole body and is seen more often. Both relationships should have the same type of respect for each other though. They are both doctors and should respect the patient just as the patient should respect the doctors. I think the dentist should not pull all the teeth if it is not nescesary. Pulling all those teeth puts the patient at greater risk for other complications. The dentist is looking out for the patient by not performing that procedure because the dentist is also saving the patient money.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Danielle, Brittany, and Melissa. The physician-patient is more personal of a relationship but a dentist-patient is still important. The dentist still takes care of the patient but it is more localized to just the mouth.
ReplyDeleteI do not think the dentist should remove all of his teeth. The dentist said thst Patrick's teeth are healthy and he does not see any reason to suspect that there will be problems. If his mouth was gross and had cavities and gum problems, then yeah, it might be a good idea. but Patrick does not seem to be in any danger of root canals. I think the dentist should explain this to Patrick and try to make him understand. If Patrick still wants to go through with it, the dentist might have to tell him to find somewhere else if he's umcomfortable with doing it.
I agree that physicians have a more personal relationship with patient's than a dentist, but they are equally important.
ReplyDeleteI believe that performing the root canals would be unethical because the dentist has no medical reason to do so. It could be beneficial to the patient, but it would destroy healthy teeth. If the patient's teeth are healthy, then I believe the dentist should sit down with the patient and explain to him that his teeth are healthy and he does not see a reason to perform root canals on all his teeth. He should also discuss with him that the root canal could go wrong and he could actually lose a tooth or other side effects of root canals.
Dentists should develop a personal relationship with their patients as doctors do. Physician-Patient relationship maybe more vital, but both are still necessary. The dentist should make an appointment with Patrick to discuss why he thinks Patrick should not go on with the procedure and the consequences, should something to wrong. I think the patient should know all sides of a situation before continuing with it. Patrick's reasoning may sound crazy, but if he is willing to pay for it and suffer consequences, then the dentist should perform it.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the physician- patient relationship is more involved than the dentist-patient relationship. I believe that because we as patients we go to the doctors more than we do go to the dentist. Like we go to the doctors most of the time when we are sick unless one is stubborn and does not go when they are sick. where as one goes to the dentist every sick months.
ReplyDeleteI agree with others in that performing the root canals would not be the right thing to do. Patrick does not even have any problems with his teeth in the first place, he just does not want it to happen later on. Therefore, i don't think that the dentist should perform the surgery. He would just be taking about good blood vessels and nerves. I also believe that the dentist should state to Patrick that infection is common after root canal which may help Patrick to not proceed in wanting to get the root canals done on all of his teeth.
Although there may be some difference in the care that dentists and doctors provide, their main purpose is the same, health. They are both there for the health of the patient. Therefore their relationship to the patient should not differ much. As far as Patrick's desire to have all of his teeth desensitized, there needs to occur a conversation about the purpose of this procedure. The Dentist needs to explain to Patrick that if the teeth are not diseased and this procedure is performed more harm could occur. If Patrick only wants this procedure because he is afraid of having a toothache I'm sure that when the Dentist explains of the possible infection when performed on healthy teeth Patrick may chage his opinion. If Patrick doesn't change his mind and still wants the procedure the Dentist should not perform it because it could cause great harm to Patrick thus resulting in moral stress and possibly a lawsuit for the Doctor.
ReplyDeleteEvery physician has a specialized field or general area of work so their involvement with pts is going to vary. With a family doctor for example, a pt may need to go to him/her for several things during the year such as checkups, physicals, any health issues. For a dentist though a pt may only go to him/her two or three times a year or every two years for a cleaning unless other circumstances exist such as health problems or braces. So a family doctor my be more involved with his/her pts more than a dentist. I believe the endodontist should give his medical school advice to the pt and if he doesnt believe it would be a gain for his health then he can offer to send him to another dentist.
ReplyDeleteDoctors and dentists both have an obligation to help their patients, as well as to do no harm. The endodontist is right to be hesitant about performing root canals on all of Patrick's teeth. This is a costly, painful, and difficult procedure, which is totally unnecessary. The dentist has no obligation to treat him. Risks of infection would outweigh the minute risk of needing root canals in the future. Instead, the dentist should recommend ways for Patrick to practice good oral hygiene, but to leave it at that.
ReplyDeleteI have always thought it was very strange that the only medical problem that general physicians do not treat is the teeth! If you have a toothache and you go to the ER, they dont have a dentist on call to give you a filling or a root canal. It just seems bizarre to me, but I guess it is a rather large sub-field of medicine.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the majority of the posts. If I were to walk into my doctors office and demand they remove my tonsils even though there is nothing wrong with them, they would think I was nuts. It is a pointless procedure, that would not benefit me in anyway, but could potentially be harmful. The pt in this case wants a pointless procedure. It is important to remember that there is risk associated with even the most simple of procedures, thus the endodontist should not oblige Patrick's demand.