Medico-legal aspects of dental treatment of the ageing and aged patient.

The medico-legal aspects of the dental management of ageing and aged patients relate mainly to the assessment of the patient's competence and the role of substitute decision makers. Dentists will assess whether or not a patient is competent to give informed consent to treatment. Lawyers use the word 'capacity' when deciding whether a person can make an important decision about their life. Competence and capacity mean the same thing. Assessment of competence and the role of substitute decision makers rests firmly on a sound understanding of the ethical basis of dental practice. This article will discuss the ethical basis of dental practice; the assessment of competence and the gaining of informed consent; the role of substitute decision makers and the nature of the decisions that are made at the end of life.