Which item is listed as a potential liability area for dental hygienists?

• A. Not protecting patient privacy/divulging confidential patient information
• B. Failure to detect periodontal disease
• C. Not updating patient history
• D. Providing routine care without documenting

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is that spotting periodontal disease is a fundamental duty in dental hygiene practice. A hygienist is expected to perform a thorough periodontal evaluation, document findings, and refer or coordinate with the supervising dentist when signs of disease are present. If periodontal disease is not detected, or if its severity is underestimated, the patient may not receive timely treatment, which can lead to progression, worse outcomes, or harm. That potential for preventable harm is what creates professional liability—failure to meet the standard of care by not identifying and acting on periodontal disease can be grounds for a negligence claim.

While other duties, like protecting patient privacy or keeping an up-to-date history and proper documentation, are important legal requirements, the reason this item stands out as a liability area in this context is its direct impact on patient health and treatment decisions. Not updating patient history or failing to document care are also problematic, but they are not as specifically tied to the critical clinical responsibility of recognizing and appropriately escalating care for periodontal disease.