Final answer:
The dental hygienist committed a breach of confidentiality by discussing a patient's history with others. This violates both legal requirements and professional ethical standards in the healthcare industry.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the dental hygienist discusses a specific patient's history with friends during lunch, this is considered a breach of confidentiality. In the medical and dental professions, patient information is protected by laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States. Discussing a patient's medical history without their consent violates these laws and the professional ethical standards set for dental hygienists.
The correct answer to the question is d): Breach of Confidentiality. Battery involves harmful or offensive contact with another person, assault is an act that creates an apprehension in another of imminent harmful or offensive contact, and misrepresentation is providing false or misleading statements. Therefore, these options do not apply to the situation described where patient information was disclosed.