As a dental professional, you have a highly valued bond of trust with the public. This bond is expressed through published policy statements from major professional dental associations, such as the American Dental Association (ADA), the American Dental Hygienist’s Association (ADHA), the American College of Dentists (ACD) and the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) that have promulgated organizational policies and ethical codes of conduct that govern the beliefs of the profession as a whole and the behavior of the organizations’ members. Such statements help set the standards of care that individual dental care professionals provide throughout their careers.
Statements of core values are made to guide the choices of action of care providers who offer treatment services to the public. Core values reflect the character and mission of the dental organization and its objectives regarding members’ ethical behavior. These values normally address concepts of patient autonomy; beneficence and nonmaleficence (the obligations to benefit others, i.e., “do good,” and also to refrain from injury, i.e., “do no harm”); compassionate care; and competence, integrity, and professionalism of dental practice as well as fairness, tolerance, and veracity (truthfulness).
Ethical practice refers to rules of conduct to which professional practitioners adhere. Such obligations often supercede actual legal responsibilities. When questions arise concerning courses of action to take regarding patient care or interactions with co-workers, dental care providers can consider the core ideology of their organizing body, the main policy statements and ethical principles designed to protect patient and provider interests in conjunction with applicable laws and regulations of greater society.
This course reviews position statements and ethical guidelines put forward by the ADHA and ADA. Although similar, the policies are worded and organized differently, reflecting each organization’s specific mission and the unique concerns of their members.