What is a breach of duty?

• A. The patient was wronged
• B. The health care provider did not meet the standard of care
• C. The harm is self-inflicted
• D. The patient signed a waiver

Answer: (B)

A breach of duty happens when a clinician does not meet the standard of care that a reasonably competent dentist would provide in the same situation. In dentistry, the standard of care is what a prudent practitioner would do based on the patient’s history, current information, and accepted practice guidelines. When a provider’s actions or omissions fall short of that standard—whether by performing the wrong procedure, omitting a necessary step, or failing to obtain proper consent—that deviation is the breach. This is why the best way to describe a breach is that the health care provider did not meet the standard of care. The other options don’t define breach: a patient being wronged may be a consequence of breach but isn’t the definition itself; harm that is self-inflicted isn’t a breach; and a signed waiver can influence liability but doesn’t define whether a duty was breached.