Informed consent and the geriatric dental patient

Dental professionals are Increasingly aware of their ethical responsibility to permit patients to participate in treatment decisions through the Informed consent process. At the same time, growing numbers of geriatric patients present special challenges that can Jeopardize the use of informed consent. Consequently, the use of informed consent with geriatric patients warrants special analysis due to complicating factors such as patient passivity and questionable competency. This article establishes the relationship between the ethical principle of autonomy and informed consent while examining factors that must be present in order for a valid informed consent to be obtained. Additionally, the article addresses informed consent issues regarding competent patients, geriatric patients with fluctuating or uncertain competency, and patients who are clearly incompetent