Responsabilidad profesional del cirujano odontólogo: ¿qué piensan los abogados?

The number of lawsuits against dental surgeons has increased considerably in the recent years. Probably this is due to a change in the behavior of the patients, from a passive role in the past to a more demanding stance now. A transversal study was carried out to evaluate the point of view of lawyers in Araçatuba, SP, Brazil, about the professional liability of dentist, the major reasons for treatment failure, the dental specialties more involved in legal actions, their attitudes if they were submitted to an unsuccessful dental treatment, their opinion on what the dentist should do when a patient does not accept the treatment provided, and, finally, what a dentist should do when facing a civil liability action. A questionnaire was sent to 318 lawyers, and 151 of them answered it. The results show that for most lawyers an occasional failure in the treatment occurs due to professional incompetence and, in their opinion, the specialty more involved in legal problems is orthodontics (64.7%). Of the lawyers interviewed, 27.0% affirmed they would seek another dentist and also a lawyer, if they were subjected to an unsuccessful dental treatment. For 36.5% of them, the dentist should give further information and explain the reasons why the treatment did not meet the patient's expectations. According to 36.1% of the interviewees the best policy to be adopted by the dentist in case of a civil liability action would be an extra judicial settlement.

Detecção do rearranjo da prpoteína BCL2/JH em carcinomas epidermóides de boca e faringe

The BCL2 protein found in the internal mothocondrial membrana regulates the apoptosis preventing the programmed cell death. The translocation (14:18), detected in 70 to 85% of the follicular lymphoma, lead the super expression of BCL2 protein, by juxtaposition of BCL2 gene to the JH segment of the immunoglobulins' heavy chain gene. However, the found of the BCL2 expression in head and neck carcinoma are contradictious. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the presence of the translocation (14:18) of the BCL2 gene in head and neck carcinoma. METHOD: Sixteen DNA samplers were examinated being 13 of squamous cells carcinoma (SCC) and 3 of epidermoid (CE), y means of chain reaction of the polymerase (PCR). RESULTS: The BCL2/JH rearrangement in 2 (15%) of the CCE 13 cases and in none of the 3 cases of CE. The average of the frequency of molecules with rearrangement was 46,44x107. Was not observed association between the rearrangement presence and the exhibition to tobacco and alcohol (p=0, 6545). CONCLUSION: Different from the results found in follicular lymphoma, the presence of the translocation (14; 18) in head and neck carcinomas is not common and, when it occurs, it can be an occasional mutation not associated to exhibition to the tobacco and alcohol.