A general description of negligence is

• A. Failure to take proper care in doing something
• B. Negligence is always intentional harm
• C. Negligence guarantees liability
• D. Negligence has no relationship to the standard of care

Answer: (A)

Negligence means failing to exercise the level of care that a reasonably prudent person would under similar circumstances. The phrase “failure to take proper care in doing something” captures that idea directly. In dentistry, this aligns with the standard of care, which is what a reasonably skilled dentist would do in comparable situations. If that standard isn’t met and harm results, liability can follow, but it isn’t automatic—you have to show a breach of the standard of care caused damages. The other statements misstate negligence: it is not necessarily about intentional harm, it does not guarantee liability, and it is connected to the standard of care.