Dentist Patient Confidentiality?

BiWinning

So, basically, I had to have a filing sad times, my teeth are actually very healthy etc but one of them was bad. Anyway, when my Mom called up to pay the bill she spoke to my dentist and he told her what procedures I had to have and gave her a general overview of my dental condition. I'm not that annoyed but still I think he crossed the line. He told her a lot of stuff.

It had to be done in 2 stages. I paid for the first visit and my Mom paid for the second. I am 19 years old and made the appointment myself etc...

Do you think he crossed the line of dentist patient confidentiality?

James Jones

No. She paid which made her his customer and she can't be expected to pay for anything without knowing what she's paying for.
You, on the other hand, have to learn to let go of the apron/purse strings or else suck it up.
You reached the Age of Majority on your 18th birthday so your age now is over 18 (i.e. an adult). Anyone (including your parents) calls you "Kiddo" again, just tell them to F**k off cause you're a man.

MagicSean

If you insist on bringing your mammy and having her pay then it's not surprising that he thought she was allowed hear the info. is there even such a thing as dentist patient confidentiality?

ballsymchugh

BiWinning wrote: »

So, basically, I had to have a filing sad times, my teeth are actually very healthy etc but one of them was bad. Anyway, when my Mom called up to pay the bill she spoke to my dentist and he told her what procedures I had to have and gave her a general overview of my dental condition. I'm not that annoyed but still I think he crossed the line. He told her a lot of stuff.

It had to be done in 2 stages. I paid for the first visit and my Mom paid for the second. I am 19 years old and made the appointment myself etc...

Do you think he crossed the line of dentist patient confidentiality?

i think, strictly strictly speaking, a line was crossed. there is definitely a patient dentist confidentiality thing, that if a patient, although a minor, is mature enough to make a decision then they can be trusted with their judgement on whether or not to proceed with treatment.
ie, not all 16 year olds can have an extraction without their parent's consent.

so, maybe the dentist didn't feel that you were mature enough (can happen if your hygiene was appalling for someone your age etc) or maybe he had to justify the prices to your mother etc.

BiWinning

I know it sounds bad but hear me out. I am a student and dependent on my parents, while I was working I paid for the first bit then my parents paid for the second bit because I'm not working anymore. Of course there's such a thing as dentist patient confidentiality. I didn't bring my mom, I arranged to have her phone the dentist and pay over the phone. Somehow she managed to get talking to the actual dentist and not just the secretary. She is entitled to know what she is paying for, ie, a filing, however I think the dentist might have stepped over the line when he revealed information about my dental health and his opinions etc...

Just because someone else is paying doesn't mean that the health professional is entitled to breach his duty of confidentiality.

Also, I paid for the first half and he spoke to my Mom about that bit of the procedure.

BiWinning

ballsymchugh wrote: »

i think, strictly strictly speaking, a line was crossed. there is definitely a patient dentist confidentiality thing, that if a patient, although a minor, is mature enough to make a decision then they can be trusted with their judgement on whether or not to proceed with treatment.
ie, not all 16 year olds can have an extraction without their parent's consent.

so, maybe the dentist didn't feel that you were mature enough (can happen if your hygiene was appalling for someone your age etc) or maybe he had to justify the prices to your mother etc.

My dental hygiene is EXTREMELY good, I've had 3 professionals comment on it, including a specialist who said and I quote "Your dental hygiene is excellent for a man of your age".

I take your point about justifying prices, perhaps this is where my claim falls, however I think he could have gone about it another way.

ballsymchugh

BiWinning wrote: »

My dental hygiene is EXTREMELY good, I've had 3 professionals comment on it, including a specialist who said and I quote "You're dental hygiene is excellent for a man of your age".

I take your point about justifying prices, perhaps this is where my claim falls, however I think he could have gone about it another way.

it depends on how your mother asked too, she may have been genuinely interested. you'd be amazed how older people are dazzled by what can be done in a dental surgery these days, even though it's been routine for the past 20 years.
i was just using the dental hygiene comment as a general example, not having a swipe at you at all.

Hal Emmerich

I don't see what the problem is really, she's your mother and it's a filling.

drkpower

BiWinning wrote: »

Just because someone else is paying doesn't mean that the health professional is entitled to breach his duty of confidentiality.

That is the correct answer; but aside from making the point to the dentist the next time you see him, there isnt much else you can (from a practical perspective).

FreudianSlippers

drkpower wrote: »

That is the correct answer; but aside from making the point to the dentist the next time you see him, there isnt much else you can (from a practical perspective).

+1


Also, see the European Standards on Confidentiality and Privacy in Healthcare. There is an element of proportionality attached to "legal" confidentiality. Certainly what he did may be unethical (in the most minuscule way possible) but that's an issue for the board of dentists...
Also, are you JUST 19 years old? I know it doesn't make a difference but your dentist may disclose to your parents if you're dependent and 18, so he may have just made a mistake. Is this a long-term family dentist?

Side note: Physician-patient confidentiality/privilege... dentists are not physicians. hmm

drkpower

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

your dentist may disclose to your parents if you're dependent and 18

Are you sure about this?

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Side note: Physician-patient confidentiality/privilege... dentists are not physicians. hmm

Dentist-patient confidentiality is no different in substance to doc-patient privilege

cowhands

She knows you smoke now doesnt she !?!

FreudianSlippers

drkpower wrote: »

Are you sure about this?

Yeah, pretty sure... cannot remember for the life of me where I saw it, so I could be mistaken.

Dentist-patient confidentiality is no different in substance to doc-patient privilege

But where the word "physician" is used could it be different since Dentists aren't physicians?

I see doctor-patient used ethically but legally I'm much more used to seeing physician-patient.

drkpower

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Yeah, pretty sure... cannot remember for the life of me where I saw it, so I could be mistaken..

It might be referable to something else. In respect of medical treatment, confidentiality almost certainly exists from 16 years old onwards. Whether one is financially dependent on their paents or anyone else is irrelevent except insofar as the parent may need access to certain basic information to pay the bill!

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

But where the word "physician" is used could it be different since Dentists aren't physicians?.

Sure; but what I mean is that the concept of dentist-patient confidentiality, while strictly speaking a different thing to doctor-patient confidentiality, is no different in substance.

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

I see doctor-patient used ethically but legally I'm much more used to seeing physician-patient.

They are identical. The term doctor-patient confidentiality tends to be used more in Irish circles, legal and medical. Americans like to use the term 'physician' though, and most of their medico-legal tenets will use the term 'physician' (ie physician assisted suicide). In Ireland, we tend to use the word 'physician' for doctors who practice what the americans call 'internal medicine' (ie. not surgery, kinda...). But a physician is really just another name for someone who can practice medicine.

amdublin

BiWinning wrote: »

So, basically, I had to have a filing sad times, my teeth are actually very healthy etc but one of them was bad. Anyway, when my Mom called up to pay the bill she spoke to my dentist and he told her what procedures I had to have and gave her a general overview of my dental condition. I'm not that annoyed but still I think he crossed the line. He told her a lot of stuff.

It had to be done in 2 stages. I paid for the first visit and my Mom paid for the second. I am 19 years old and made the appointment myself etc...

Do you think he crossed the line of dentist patient confidentiality?

Mom

Are you American?

BiWinning

cowhands wrote: »

She knows you smoke now doesnt she !?!

No, I don't smoke. I am just gone 19 but I look older, he couldn't have been mistaken as to my age and sure I think my DOB is on the little chart thing that he takes out when I arrive anyway.

It's such an odd thing but I did feel kinda weird when I found out that MY dentist had been speaking to my MOM about MY situation. It probably seems a bit pathetic to most of you and I know that I myself previously would have been the person who would say 'get over it'. But now I feel weird about it and that's why I posted here. I now see why confidentiality is so important and something that should be taken seriously.

Obviously I haven't suffered any compensatable loss/injury and you can't get damages for hurt feelings but I will definitely say it to the dentist at some point. I won't be going back to him because he is rude and expensive. I might write a letter

Jezzabelle

Hahahahha! Wind Up. Has to be.

BiWinning

Jezzabelle wrote: »

Hahahahha! Wind Up. Has to be.

what do you mean? Do you think I'm having a laugh???

MagicSean

BiWinning wrote: »

what do you mean? Do you think I'm having a laugh???

No, probably just trolling.

EDIT: by the way have you told your mother to keep her nose out of your business in future?

James Jones

BiWinning wrote: »

Jezzabelle wrote: »

Hahahahha! Wind Up. Has to be.

what do you mean? Do you think I'm having a laugh???

No but you're giving us one!!!

amdublin

Omg like your mom is so mean.

And omg that dentist is so mean tell to her stuff like.

The world is against you like.

discus

BiWinning wrote:

Nobody understands me

Seriously, grow a pair. If you're 19 and your mam is still paying for your own dental treatment, then it's fair enough that she understands what she is paying for.

amdublin

In my head BiWinning looks like Kevin or Perry

And acts like him too. He is probably sulking around the house giving out to his MOM right now.

BiWinning

discus wrote: »

Seriously, grow a pair. If you're 19 and your mam is still paying for your own dental treatment, then it's fair enough that she understands what she is paying for.

I never said that, so annoying. I think this is all waaaaaaaaay too funny, you guys couldn't have me more wrong.

In this day and age it's not totally unreasonable for a student over 18 to be still dependent on their parents. In Germany a child is legally entitled to be provided for by their parents up until the age of 25 or something like that (if they're still in education), that's a LEGAL right. Developed societies recognise the need for an educated group of young people and just because your parents didn't/don't care about your future then that doesn't mean you can get all AGRO on here.

BiWinning

amdublin wrote: »

In my head BiWinning looks like Kevin or Perry

And acts like him too. He is probably sulking around the house giving out to his MOM right now.

I actually don't know what your problem is, did your parents not love you? I don't live at home anymore and I would never "give out" to my Mom. I don't sulk around the house, that is not a way I wish to navigate about, it seems tedious :cool:

discus

BiWinning wrote: »

I never said that, so annoying. I think this is all waaaaaaaaay too funny, you guys couldn't have me more wrong.

In this day and age it's not totally unreasonable for a student over 18 to be still dependent on their parents. In Germany a child is legally entitled to be provided for by their parents up until the age of 25 or something like that (if they're still in education), that's a LEGAL right. Developed societies recognise the need for an educated group of young people and just because your parents didn't/don't care about your future then that doesn't mean you can get all AGRO on here.

LOL

ballsymchugh

BiWinning wrote: »

I never said that, so annoying. I think this is all waaaaaaaaay too funny, you guys couldn't have me more wrong.

In this day and age it's not totally unreasonable for a student over 18 to be still dependent on their parents. In Germany a child is legally entitled to be provided for by their parents up until the age of 25 or something like that (if they're still in education), that's a LEGAL right. Developed societies recognise the need for an educated group of young people and just because your parents didn't/don't care about your future then that doesn't mean you can get all AGRO on here.

germany's nothing, spanish parents have it much worse!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/29/unemployed-spanish-man-court-order_n_855222.html

BlastedGlute

Gotta be trolling,this is priceless. Your mother wiped your ass and fed you from her tit, 19 years later little timmy gets upset when the dentist tells her all about liitle bo bo's boo boo. If this true then it only confirms how completely screwed this next generation is.

discus

BlastedGlute wrote: »

Gotta be trolling,this is priceless. Your mother wiped your ass and fed you from her tit, 19 years later little timmy gets upset when the dentist tells her all about liitle bo bo's boo boo. If this true then it only confirms how completely screwed this next generation is.

It's his human rights though, innit?

amdublin

discus wrote: »

It's his human rights though, innit?

Yeah it's the law, innit.

BiWinning

WC