Consent for dental therapy in severely ill patients.

This article provides an overview of legal standards for informed consent, and discusses this in the context of dental care for elderly or severely ill patients. Legal analysis is made on variations in state common law and legislation, focusing on the difference between a practitioner-oriented approach versus a patient-oriented approach to informed consent. Analysis is also made regarding advance health care directives in cases of patient incapacity. The purposes of this article are to provide interested dental educators with an understanding of the important legal concepts in this area and the nuances of state law, and to discuss how these can be properly applied in facilities that treat severely ill or geriatric patients.