Implied contracts are best described as which of the following?

• A. Implied contracts are assumed contracts where both parties have interest in a contract but have not discussed the agreement in detail.
• B. Express contracts are orally stated or written agreements.
• C. Assumed contracts are formal written agreements.
• D. Void contracts have no consideration.

Answer: (A)

Implied contracts are formed by the actions and circumstances of the parties rather than by explicit words. In dental hygiene practice, when a patient receives care and agrees to be billed, the existing relationship and conduct create a binding expectation to fulfill the services and payment, even though there wasn’t a written or spoken agreement detailing every term. This mutual understanding—that a patient will pay for services and the clinician will provide care—illustrates an assumed or implied contract.

Express contracts are defined by terms that are stated in words, either orally or in writing, which is why that description doesn’t fit implied contracts. The term “assumed contracts” isn’t a standard formal label in contract law, and void contracts refer to agreements lacking validity due to issues like illegality or incapacity, not simply because there was no consideration or explicit discussion.