Dental Ethics
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this chapter, the student will be able to achieve the following objectives:
• Pronounce, define, and spell the Key Terms.
• Explain and give examples of the basic principles of ethics.
• Discuss the American Dental Assistants Association Code of Ethics.
• Explain the difference between being “legal” and “ethical.”
• Describe the steps involved in ethical decision making.
• Give examples of ethical dilemmas for each principle of ethics.
• Give examples of personal ethics and unethical behaviors.
Electronic Resources
Additional information related to content in Chapter 4 can be found on the companion Evolve Web site.
Key Terms
Autonomy (aw-TON-uh-mee) Self-determination.
Beneficence Of benefit to the patient.
Code of ethics Voluntary standards of behavior established by a profession.
Confidentiality Never revealing any personal information about the patient.
Ethics Moral standards of conduct; rules or principles that govern proper conduct.
Justice Fair treatment of the patient.
Laws Minimum standards of behavior established by statutes for a population or profession.
Nonmaleficence Of no harm to the patient.
Veracity Truthfulness; not lying to the patient.
Dental assistants are oral healthcare professionals. As members of a profession, they must practice in accordance with both ethical and legal standards that the public expects from healthcare providers. The connection between law and ethics is very close. Chapter 5 discusses the legal aspects of dental practice.
Ethics refers to moral conduct (right and wrong behavior, “good” and “evil”). Ethics includes values, high standards of conduct, and personal obligations reflected in our interactions with other professionals and patients. Ethics involves very few absolutes and many gray areas. Ethical issues are subject to individual interpretation regarding the right or wrong of particular situations. Dental healthcare professionals should practice ethical behavior as they provide dental care to their patients.
As a general rule, ethical standards are always of a higher order than minimal legal standards established by law. A behavior can be unethical and still be legal, but it cannot be illegal and still be ethical. The study of ethics seeks to answer two basic questions:
Ethics refers to what you should do, not what you must do. The law deals with what you must do (see Chapter 5).
Sources for Ethics
Ethical decisions are present in every part of our lives. Ethics is involved in the way we treat other humans, animals, and the environment. You have been learning personal ethics throughout your life in a variety of ways from the following sources:
Basic Principles of Ethics
Actions and decisions of healthcare providers are guided by ethical principles.
The following six basic principles of ethics have been developed over time. These principles guide healthcare providers by helping to identify, clarify, and justify moral (ethical) choices (Table 4-1).
TABLE 4-1
| Principle | Description |
| Autonomy | Self-determination, right to freedom of choice, self-responsibility |
| Nonmaleficence | To do no harm |
| Beneficence | To do good or provi/> |
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