Pravice in dolžnosti posameznika kot pacienta, obravnavane v medicini in v pravu, imajo skupno točko. Obe področji, tako medicina kot pravo, obravnavata in proučujeta posameznika kot celoto, kot subjekt in objekt delovanja. Po drugi strani razvoj pacientovih pravic v zadnjem času na obeh področjih znanosti počasi, a intenzivno prehaja iz obravnavanja pacienta pretežno kot objekta v subjekt delovanja v procesu izboljšanja ali povrnitve zdravja. V vnemi po priznanju in uresničevanju pacientove subjektivitete, zlasti njegove avtonomije, je zbledela temeljna lastnost posameznika - da ga kot celoto opredeljujejo tako njegove pravice kot tudi dolžnosti. Obstoja dolžnosti se pacient najpogosteje zave šele ob neposrednem stiku z zdravstvenim osebjem, vsebine dolžnosti in pomembnosti njihovega izvajanja pa se običajno zave šele v dalj časa trajajočem postopku reševanja svojih zdravstvenih težav. Specifičnost zobozdravstvene dejavnosti, zlasti na primarni ravni, omogoča uveljavljanje pacientovih pravic in doseganje pričakovanih rezultatov dejansko že ob enkratnem obisku zobne ambulante. Po drugi strani je zagotavljanje ustreznega oralnega zdravja vseživljenski proces, temelječ na usklajenem delovanju pacienta in zobozdravnika. Zaradi tega ima v zobozdravstveni praksi poseben pomen zavedanje pacientov o obstoju njihovih dolžnosti, o dostikrat neizogibni povezavi predhodnega ali sočasnega izvajanja le teh ter o posledicah izogibanja dolžnosti. Slabo zavedanje ali celo zanikanje obstoja in pomena pacientovih dolžnosti močno vpliva na njihovo izvajanje, kar lahko omejuje ali celo onemogoča strokovno izvedbo zobozdravstvene obravnave. Posledica tega je otežena komunikacija in pogostejše nasilno uveljavljanje pravic v zobni ambulanti. Vzroke za tako ravnanje pacienta zobozdravniki pripisujejo tudi neustrezni pravni ureditvi področja pacientovih dolžnosti. The rights and obligations of an individual as a patient, held in medicine and law, have the same starting point. Medical science, as well as a law science, treat and study the individual in its entirety, as a subject and object. On the other hand, the development of patient rights in both spheres slowly, but constantly, have turned from taking the patient as an object into a subject of operating in the healing process. The enthusiasm on recognition and realizing patient`s subjectivity, especially patient`s autonomy, caused the fade of the basic characteristic of the individual human being – the entirety of human being define its rights as well as its obligations. The patient is aware of his obligations existance not until at his direct contact with medical staff, but usually he is aware of the contents of obligations and the importance of theirs implementation not until the long-terming procedure of the salvation of his health problems. The speciality of dentistry, especially on the primary level, make the realization of patient`s rights and the expected results possible yet at the patient`s one-off visit at the dentist`s office. On the other hand, the ensurance of the appropriate oral health is an all-life process, based on a harmonized operation of the patient and his dentist. For this reason, the patient`s awareness of the existence of his obligations, unavoidable relationship of the previous or simultaneous realizing of patient`s rights and obligations, and the consequences of patient`s ignorance of his obligations, has a special meaning in a dentist`s practice. The bad awareness or even denieing of the existence and the meaning of patinet`s obligations has a full effect on theirs realization, what can restrict or even make the professional realization of a treatment in dentistry impossible. The result of this situation is a difficult communication and patient`s repeatedly violent implementation of his rights at the dentist. The cause of that kind of patient`s behavior the dentists attribute also to unappropriate legal system of patient`s obligations.