[Responsibility and legal aspects of implantology]

Medico-legal aspects regarding oral implantology are to be found in the Civil Right and governed by the Belgian civil code (article 1382) and by the specific nature of the relationship between the practitioner and the patient. Both the patient and the practitioner are to fulfill a number of obligations. One of these, is the compulsory 'informed consent' to be obtained from the patient. However, this consent is preceded by the information given and repeated by the practitioner to the patient regarding the proposed treatment. This article describes precautions and obligations to observe by the practitioner in order to minimize the possibility of being sued by a patient. Various anamnestic question lists are provided in this article.