INTRODUCTION: After the enactment of Law 8078, of September 11, 1990, the Consumers Defense Code implied important alterations in Brazil's legal scenario, providing a greater balance in the relationship between consumers and service providers. From this law, dental surgeons came to establish a consumer relationship with their clients. OBJECTIVE: Due to the ethical and legal issues against the dental professionals, this work makes general considerations about the nature of the dentist´s obligation in services, specifically in Orthodontics. CONCLUSION: The responsibility of the professional shall be restricted to predictable risks and undertaken obligations. When the professional warns the client in a correct, clear and express manner, it will lower the chances of being later charged.
Professional practice; Legal liability; Legal system