Treating patients

[hpets]

Hey, i'm a pre-dental student so i haven't really learned the whole patient-doctor "laws." So, in general, what if a patient cannot pay for dental care (a painful problem) and there is no clinic nearby to refer him/her to? Is it okay to treat them if you are willing, or are there hidden dangers? Also, are malpractice suits common? Thanks

 

[toofache32]

In your own private practice, you can treat everyone for free if you want to. But you won't stay in business very long that way when you have to pay your staff their salaries, buy your supplies, etc.

If something goes wrong during free treatment, you are still liable for lawsuits, etc. In my observation, those are exactly the patients who sue you most often.