KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CIVIL LIABILITY OF THE DENTAL SURGEON AND ITS INFLUENCE NO DENTAL PRATICE: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Civil liability in Dentistry has gained increasing relevance due to the rise in legal actions related to ethical, legal, and documentation failures in clinical practice. Evidence indicates that many dental surgeons have insufficient knowledge regarding informed consent, proper recordkeeping, and regulatory standards, which increases their legal vulnerability. Objective: To evaluate the level of knowledge of dental surgeons regarding civil liability in dental practice. Methodology: This study is a literature review conducted in the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases, including articles published between 2021 and 2026. Articles that addressed civil liability, professional ethics, dental legislation or legal elements of clinical practice were selected. Duplicate, incomplete or no direct relationship with the theme were excluded Results: Studies addressing civil liability, professional ethics, dental legislation, or legal-documentary aspects of clinical practice were considered. After screening 7,044 references, eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The selected studies revealed that dentists’ legal knowledge ranges from low to moderate. The main gaps identified include limited understanding of professional legislation, civil obligations, informed consent, patient communication, and clinical documentation. Insufficient academic training, lack of continuing education, and limited awareness of legal consequences were recurrent factors among the professionals assessed. Conclusion: There is a significant gap in the ethical and legal training of dental surgeons. Strengthening the teaching of civil liability and Forensic Dentistry, both in undergraduate programs and continuing education, is essential to promote safer and legally informed professional practice.