What is the consequence of not notifying patients about a dentist's retirement and practice closure?

When a dentist retires and closes their practice, it is essential to inform patients about the closure to ensure that they can make arrangements for their ongoing dental care. Failing to do so can lead to a situation known as abandonment. This occurs when the dentist effectively discontinues care for their patients without providing adequate notice or arrangements for continued treatment.

Abandonment is a serious ethical and legal issue in dentistry and other healthcare fields. Patients have a right to receive safe, ongoing care, and without notification of the dentist's retirement, they may be left without access to necessary treatments or advice for ongoing dental issues. This lack of communication can lead to patients being unable to seek care and could cause harm to their health due to untreated conditions.

In contrast, assault refers to an intentional act of causing fear of imminent harm, malpractice pertains to professional negligence, and noncompliance usually relates to failing to adhere to regulations or guidelines, but none of these accurately encapsulate the specific situation where patients are left without care due to a lack of notification about a practice closing.