Legal implications and considerations in dental practice management.

This article deals with the legal aspects and ramifications of several common situations that arise in dental practices. The authors deal specifically with the areas of contracts and guarantees; unilateral termination of treatment while avoiding charges of abandonment; treatment of minors and the necessity for informed consent; fraud and misrepresentation; and employer-employee considerations. These areas are briefly analyzed with suggestions for prevention of problems.

The current status of medical malpractice countersuits.

The dramatic growth of medical malpractice litigation in recent decades has contributed significantly to an overall increase in health care costs in this country. Although lawmakers, physicians, and other responsible citizens have proposed numerous solutions in an effort to curb the crisis, these proposals have generally been ineffective. In this Article the Author endorses countersuits as the most appropriate response to frivolous medical malpractice actions.