Troubleshooter: What are a 15-year-old's "dental rights"?

July 23, 2021

This mother wants to have her 15-year-old daughter's teeth whitened, but the daughter is not on board. What is the practice required to do?

Team Troubleshooter

Nearly everyone has problems and concerns on the job, and sometimes you're just too close to a situation to solve something yourself. Share your concerns with Team Troubleshooter, and the experts will examine the issues and provide guidance. Send questions to [email protected].

Take a few moments to see what Dr. Chris Salierno, former editor of Dental Economics, has to say about this sticky situation involving a minor's dental rights.

QUESTION: A 15-year-old patient came into our practice with her mother for an exam and cleaning. Her mother explained that her main concern was her daughter’s discoloring teeth, and the mother would like to see her daughter’s teeth become chalky white. The patient did not express any desire to have whitening done. Seeing as how the mother is giving the consent, does the practice have any legal obligation to perform the treatment or to not do the treatment?

VIDEO ANSWER FROM DR. CHRIS SALIERNO:

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Originally published in 2017 and updated regularly.

About the Author

Team Troubleshooter

This weekly column on DentistryIQ features questions from everyday people who work in dental practices, who have issues they would like addressed by the experts. Those who regularly take the time to answer questions include Rebecca Boartfield, Patti DiGangi, Dr. Chris Salierno, Laura Hatch, Karen Daw, Jill Townsend, Lisa Marie Spradley, Shelley Renee, Judy Kay Mausolf, Robin Morrison, Paul Edwards ... and the list is growing.

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