Current trends in behavior management techniques as they relate to new standards concerning informed consent

Standards governing informed consent are changing across the United States, and these changes have potential impact on the techniques of behavior management used by pediatric dentists. The purpose of this study was to determine pediatric dentists' awareness of standards of informed consent in the state in which they practice, as well as the impact of the professional community standard versus the reasonable patient standard on their use of certain behavior management techniques. A stratified random sample of 502 practitioners was selected from the total membership of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry; 292 returned surveys provided data related to behavior management techniques, consent standards, and demographic variables. These were analyzed by Chi-square (P less than 0.05). Results revealed that 73% of the respondents do not know which consent standard is in effect in the state in which they practice; 50% do not get verbal consent; and 80% do not get written consent to use the specific management techniques. There is a lack of knowledge on the part of some pediatric dentists concerning the changing laws governing informed consent and a reluctance to acknowledge the implications that these changes would have on behavior management techniques.