1. parties must be legally competent

2. specific act covered by the agreement must be a lawful one

3. there must be payment in the form of money or services.

1. implied contract - made by certain actions on the part of the parties concerned

2. expressed contract - oral or written agreement

3. breach of contract - breaking of a contract occurs if either party fails to keep his part of an expressed contract, either written or oral

1. legal duty - owed by someone to another

2. duty must have been breached by the accused (accused is defendant)

3. there was damage or harm to the accuser (accuser is plaintiff)

4. damage or harm was caused directly by the accused's breach of duty.

1. censure, an official reprimand or disapproval 

2. suspension, temp. loss of membership

3. complete loss of membership

1. personal code of ethics (set for themselves)

2. code of ethics est. by profession

3. law est. by society

1. eligibility for licensure

2. grounds for suspension or revocation of license

3. admin board, state board of dental examiners to supervise the practice of dentistry

4. control of assignment duties (including expanded functions)

1. moral turptitude (corruptness)

2. gross ignorance of inefficiency in their profession

3. drug addiction or chronic alcoholism

4. mental or physical impairment which would be harmful to those under their care

5. incompetence

1. by amendment of the dental law

2. by the state board of dentistry

3. combo of legislative and regulatory action 

"open provision" - broad and flexible definition of the scope of allowable auxillary tasks and permits the dentist to delegate any function within competence of auxillaries 

"list" of permitted auxillary functions that is more rigid and restrictive approach

1. be duly licensed

2. exercise reasonable skill, care, and judgement in diagnosis and treatment

3. use standard drugs, materials and techniques

4. complete agreed-upon treatment within a reasonable time

5. do not abandon the patient

6. do only those things consented to by the patient

7. give adequate instructions to the patient

8. make reasonable charge for services rendered

9. achieve a reasonable result

10. arrange care for the patient during temp. abensence

11. refer unusual cases to a specialist

12. hold inviolate the patients privacy

1. follow instructions both during/after treatment

2. pay "reasonable" fee agreed on between dentist and patient

1. develop good skills and maintain them through continuing education

2. use reasonable care in all that you do

3. exercise beat judgement in all situations

1. one giving consent must be legally competent

2. consent must be informed

3. consent is for specific treatment

4. act consented must be legal

5. consent must not have been obtained by fraud

1.  nature of condition

2. proposed treatment

3. risks involved

4. chances of failure

5. results of not proceeding

6. alternative procedures that might be employed

1. implied

2. expression

3. informed

4. consent by parent/guardian

5. impled in an emergency

1. when new drugs are to be used

2. when clinical testing is involved

3. when patients photograph is to be used

4. when general anesthesia is to be used

5. when minor children are to be treated in public program

6. when treatment will require more than one year to complete

answerable, responsible and legally bound as to make good any loss or damage.

writing something which might destroy a reputation

1. financial discussions should be held in privacy

2. financial act concerning the patients ability and willingness to pay should be gathered at the time of visit

3. estimate sheet may be made up for that patient

1. salaries

2. dental supplies

3. lab costs

4. rent

5. utilities

6. cleaning and maintence

7. equip. purchase and repair

1. minors

2. mental incompetents

3. patient must be in legal custody of person giving consent

1. collection letters

2. collection telephone calls

3. collection agencies