A relação profissional-paciente: o entendimento e implicações legais que se estabelecem durante o tratamento ortodôntico The relationship between the dentistry professional and patient: the understanding and legal aspects involved in the orthodontic treatment

OBJETIVO: investigar a relação profissional/paciente na área da Ortodontia. Foram analisados os aspectos legais que permeiam o tratamento ortodôntico. METODOLOGIA: a pesquisa foi realizada por meio de dois questionários: um dirigido a 10 profissionais da área de Ortodontia e o outro dirigido a 100 pacientes em tratamento ortodôntico dos respectivos profissionais. RESULTADOS: a análise das respostas obtidas demonstrou que a preocupação estética é a principal motivação que leva os pacientes aos consultórios ortodônticos. Os profissionais acreditam existirem fatores imprevisíveis que podem intervir no desenvolvimento e no resultado do tratamento ortodôntico. Apesar deste fato, 40% dos profissionais asseguram ao paciente o sucesso do tratamento. Para todos os profissionais, o principal meio de defesa do ortodontista frente a um processo de responsabilidade civil é o prontuário completo. Porém, 90% dos entrevistados não possuem em seu prontuário a ficha de procedimentos executados, com as intercorrências anotadas e assinatura do paciente, pressupondo o consentimento do tratamento. Nos contratos escritos de honorários e manutenção foi verificado que 50% dos profissionais formalizavam o registro. CONCLUSÃO: concluiu-se que existe uma preocupação em relação à parte financeira, e os profissionais não vêem a correta execução do prontuário principal como um meio de defesa e tampouco preocupam-se em fornecer informações claras e por escrito aos seus pacientes.<br>AIM: the objective of the present research was to investigate the relationship between the dentistry professional and his/her patient in the orthodontic area. The legal aspects involved in the orthodontic treatments were deeply analyzed. METHODS: this research was developed using two questionnaires: the first one was submitted to ten orthodontics professionals and the second questionnaire to one hundred patients treated by those ten professionals. RESULTS: the percentile analysis of the patients’ reply has demonstrated that the aesthetic aspects are the main reason that impels the patients to the orthodontist’s office. All the interviewed professionals believe in the existence of unexpected factors that intervene in both the development and the results of the treatment. Despite the afore mentioned fact 40% of the professionals assure to the patient a successful treatment. For the majority of the orthodontics professionals the main means against any civil prosecution is the complete and detailed treatment documentation. However, the great majority (90%) of the professionals interviewed does not possess in their files the executed treatment procedures with the signature of the patient on them. CONCLUSION: was conclude that the orthodontics professionals has a financial concern, they don’t believe that the correct treatment documentation is the main evidence against any civil prosecution, neither worry about to provide complete information for the patients

Assessment of the mandibular symphysis of Caucasian Brazilian adults with well-balanced faces and normal occlusion: the influence of gender and facial type

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to establish cephalometric reference values for mandibular symphysis in adults. Dentoalveolar, skeletal and soft tissue variables were measured considering the influence of gender and facial type. METHODS: The sample consisted of sixty cephalometric radiographs of white Brazilian adult patients, with a mean age of 27 years and 6 months, who had not undergone orthodontic treatment and who presented well-balanced faces and normal occlusion. The sample was standardized according to gender (30 males and 30 females) and facial type (20 were dolichofacial, 20 mesofacial and 20 brachyfacial). RESULTS: The results showed that male and female symphyses are similar, except for symphyseal height, which was greater in males. In terms of facial type, the dolichofacial group presented narrower symphysis in dentoalveolar and basal areas, with a more accentuated lingual dentoalveolar inclination. CONCLUSION: The brachyfacial group showed broader symphysis in the dentoalveolar and basal areas and a greater buccal dentoalveolar inclination. The projection of the chin was 6.67 mm below the subnasal vertical line and there was no significant difference between the genders or facial types