This lesson covers the legal obligations of dentists in France, including respecting the "secret professionnel" (professional confidentiality) and proper "codage" (coding) of dental procedures. Key terms such as "devoir" (must), "facture" (invoice), and "Assurance maladie" (Health Insurance) are introduced to help understand professional duties and patient rights.
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Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. En France, un dentiste doit __________ au Répertoire Partagé des Professionnels de Santé.
(In France, a dentist must __________ with the Shared Directory of Health Professionals.)2. Il __________ toujours à ses patients comment fonctionne la facturation selon la CCAM.
(He __________ always to his patients how billing works according to the CCAM.)3. Le dentiste __________ la Carte Vitale pour appliquer le tiers payant.
(The dentist __________ the Vitale Card to apply third-party payment.)4. Les professionnels doivent __________ le Développement Professionnel Continu pour rester à jour.
(Professionals must __________ Continuing Professional Development to stay up to date.)Exercise 3: The legal obligations of a dentist in France
Instruction:
Verb Tables
S'inscrire - S'inscrire
Présent
- Je m'inscris
- Tu t'inscris
- Il/Elle s'inscrit
- Nous nous inscrivons
- Vous vous inscrivez
- Ils/Elles s'inscrivent
Devoir - Devoir
Présent
- Je dois
- Tu dois
- Il/Elle doit
- Nous devons
- Vous devez
- Ils/Elles doivent
Pouvoir - Pouvoir
Présent
- Je peux
- Tu peux
- Il/Elle peut
- Nous pouvons
- Vous pouvez
- Ils/Elles peuvent
Payer - Payer
Présent
- Je paie
- Tu paies
- Il/Elle paie
- Nous payons
- Vous payez
- Ils/Elles paient
Respecter - Respecter
Présent
- Je respecte
- Tu respectes
- Il/Elle respecte
- Nous respectons
- Vous respectez
- Ils/Elles respectent
S'assurer - S'assurer
Présent
- Je m'assure
- Tu t'assures
- Il/Elle s'assure
- Nous nous assurons
- Vous vous assurez
- Ils/Elles s'assurent
Suivre - Suivre
Présent du subjonctif
- Que je suive
- Que tu suives
- Qu'il/elle suive
- Que nous suivions
- Que vous suiviez
- Qu'ils/elles suivent
Présenter - Présenter
Présent
- Je présente
- Tu présentes
- Il/Elle présente
- Nous présentons
- Vous présentez
- Ils/Elles présentent
Couvrir - Couvrir
Présent
- Je couvre
- Tu couvres
- Il/Elle couvre
- Nous couvrons
- Vous couvrez
- Ils/Elles couvrent
Protéger - Protéger
Présent
- Je protège
- Tu protèges
- Il/Elle protège
- Nous protégeons
- Vous protégez
- Ils/Elles protègent
Gérer - Gérer
Présent
- Je gère
- Tu gères
- Il/Elle gère
- Nous gérons
- Vous gérez
- Ils/Elles gèrent
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Legal Obligations as a Dentist: Lesson Overview
This lesson is designed for learners at the A2 French level who want to understand the key legal responsibilities dentists have in France. Through realistic dialogues and contextual examples, you will explore important concepts such as the French health system related to dental care, coding and billing dental treatments, and the mandatory legal duties dentists must follow.
Understanding the French Health System for Dental Care
This section clarifies how the national health insurance (Sécurité sociale) partially reimburses certain dental procedures listed officially. Key phrases include:
- rembourser – to reimburse
- actes codés/confirmer dans la nomenclature – coded procedures according to the official list
- charge du patient – patient’s responsibility for non-covered acts
Example dialogue excerpt: "En France, la Sécurité sociale rembourse une partie des soins dentaires." (In France, Social Security reimburses part of dental care.)
Coding and Billing Dental Treatments
This part focuses on how dentists must use specific codes for treatments to ensure correct billing and reimbursement. Essential verbs and vocabulary are:
- coder un soin – to code a treatment
- facturer – to bill
- nomenclature – official list of coded dental acts
- facture – invoice
Example codes from the lesson: "Le détartrage correspond au code 101" and "On utilise le code 203 pour l'extraction d'une dent."
Legal Responsibilities of Registered Dentists
The lesson explains the professional and legal duties dentists must follow by law. These include respecting patient confidentiality, securely managing patient records, and complying with continual education requirements.
- secret professionnel – professional secrecy
- tenir les dossiers – keep patient records
- formation continue obligatoire – mandatory ongoing training
- informer le patient – inform the patient
The lesson also covers procedures to take in case of medical errors, emphasizing transparency and legal compliance.
Grammatical Focus: Present tense conjugation of key verbs
Focus verbs conjugated in the lesson include:
- devoir (to have to/must) – e.g., "je dois"
- recevoir (to receive) – e.g., "il reçoit"
- connaître (to know) – e.g., "vous connaissez"
Example sentence: "Le dentiste respecte toujours le code de déontologie professionnelle." (The dentist always respects the professional code of ethics.)
Differences Between English and French Relevant to This Lesson
French uses formal verbs and specific nouns related to medical and legal contexts that do not always have direct English equivalents but are essential in professional settings. For example, "nomenclature" refers specifically to the official coding system for medical acts in France, different from the general English word "nomenclature." Also, the verb devoir expresses obligation much like "must" or "have to" in English but is commonly conjugated depending on the subject.
Useful expressions include:
- respecter le secret professionnel – to respect professional confidentiality
- tenir les dossiers à jour – to keep records up to date
- être remboursé(e) par la Sécurité sociale – to be reimbursed by Social Security
These highlight the formality and precision expected in professional communication in French dentistry contexts.
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