When can dentists refuse to release patient information?

• A. When the patient requests it
• B. When the patient is a minor
• C. When disclosure can cause serious harm to the patient or when a second person named by name has not given consent
• D. When records are more than 10 years old

Answer: (C)

Confidentiality is at the heart of patient records. Dentists normally share information with the patient, and with authorised people, but there are specific safeguards when disclosure is not appropriate. The key idea here is that you may refuse to release information if it could cause serious harm to the patient, or if the record includes information about another identifiable person who has not given consent to release it. In those situations, protecting the patient and third parties takes precedence over disclosure. By contrast, simply because the patient requests the information, or because the patient is a minor, or because records are old, does not automatically justify withholding information. Those factors don’t establish the necessary risk or third-party consent issues that warrant refusal.