Libyan International Medical University

Faculty of Dentistry

Ethics assignment

Done by:
 Mazen T. Shembesh 1419
 Amalia A. Elshereif 1390
 Dentist who is unaware of ethical issues can land in trouble.” Ethical experts
say?
Ethics is the science of ideal human character and behavior in circumstances where right
and wrong must be distinguished, duties must be carried out, and good interpersonal
relations must be maintained. Unethical behavior has serious consequences for individuals.
You can lose your job and reputation, organizations can lose their credibility, general morale
and productivity can decline, or the behavior can result in significant fines and/or financial
loss and maybe not holding respect for you anymore. in severe cases of unethical
misconduct, it can lead to severe legal issues that result in loss of time, large fines, and
other penalties with possible jail time. Here are several things that can get a dentist in
trouble if they aren't aware of:
Abuse of prescriptions by patients The dentist must be aware of the patients' legitimate
prescription medicine requirements. When patients' demands for prescription medicines
materially disagree with professional suggestions, the dentist should be suspicious. When
non-confrontation would indicate tacit tolerance of drug abuse, the dentist should
approach the patient. The dentist has a responsibility to recommend the patient for
examination if there is a suspicion of drug usage. In some cases, he can work with
appropriate government and law enforcement entities to prevent such abuse. Also, close
communication with pharmacists and other practitioners may be required. The dentist owes
it to his or her patients to avoid becoming enablers.
Access to dental care Dentistry: In most cases, a dentist should be available to treat
potentially life-threatening dental problems as well as relieve pain and discomfort. A dentist
should not limit access to professional services in an unjustifiable manner.
Child abuse :Dentists are in a great position to identify these forms of child abuse. However,
they must take precautions when drawing conclusions or making claims, as a mistake in
judgment could result in irreversible damage to the reputation and quality of life of those
involved.
Dating patients: Dentists should not solicit or cultivate romantic relationships with their
patients because of their position. Patients' weakness can be exploited by romantic
interests with medical staff, affecting the clinician's objective judgment. Dentists should
stop instilling in their patients the idea that they are acting inappropriately, to not loss the
respect from this patient and the others.

Delegation of duties: The dentist must be knowledgeable about the laws and regulations
that control delegation of responsibilities,and Duties should not be delegated at the
expense of quality.
Emergency care: The dentist's main concern should be the patient's health and comfort, not
compensation or convenience. If a dentist is unable to meet a patient's urgent needs, a fair
attempt should be made to see the patient as soon as possible by someone who can treat
the problem.
 Financial arrangements Dentists do not adjust fees exclusively based on a patient's financial
resources, including insurance coverage. Fees and payment plans should be reported to
patients and settled upon prior to any non-emergency services being performed. Treatment
costs are discussed as part of the informed consent/refusal process.
Harassment: The dentist must avoid situations or acts that encourage harassment or abuse
of workers, patients, or others. Sexual harassment is an unwanted, intentional or accidental
act that creates a hostile work environment for the employee.The perception of a verbal,
nonverbal, or physical action against another person is known as sexual assault
"harassment'', and it may refer to an action that is not mutually agreed upon or
reciprocated by another person and should be aware of the warning signs and remove it
from the workplace.
Informed concent: Obtaining adequate informed consent is a legal, ethical, and technical
prerequisite for all treating health practitioners, and it promotes person-centered
treatment. Informed consent must be obtained correctly and at the proper time in order to
be considered good clinical practice. The concent can protect you from legal issues and
toubles, and patients indictments.
Poor knowledge and attitude: Poor knowledge and attitude towards ethics among our
dental practitioners and considering ethics and giving importance only to the technical
aspect. A dentist who isn't aware of ethical problems can get himself into some trouble, and
he can't blame that on lack of knowledge, Lack of knowledge about the subject as well as
lack of commitment mostly leads to under treatment of the patients. Dentists must stay up
to date by attending continued education workshops and lectures that offer relevant
material.

 Discuss how the professional relationship between patients and dental

professional may be compromised?
Dentist-patient relationship is the core of dentistry, it is a delicate partnership in which trust
and confidence are all important ingredients. There are thousands of ethical issues
surrounding the dentist/patient relationship, but it is important to understand that at the
root of the relationship lies a mutual trust. Of the thousands of issues surrounding dental
treatment, perhaps the most important include: Autonomy, medical error, refusal of
treatment, loss of trust, respect and equal treatment, confidentiality, and patient/dentist
relationships.
Break of confidentiality. “What I may see or hear in the course of treatment or even
outside of treatment in regard to the life of men...I will keep to myself”—Hippocratic Oath.
The dentist-patient relationship is built on the understanding that any information shared
by the patient with the dentist will not be shared without the patient's consent. Patients
have a right to privacy, and it is important that they provide the dentist with complete
information about their health in order for treatment to be carried out safely. Even so, the
right to privacy is not total. Under certain circumstances, that right must yield to a state's
fundamental right to enact laws to promote public health and to ensure public safety and
welfare. Responsibility for disclosure rests with the patient’s dentist and under no
circumstances can any other member of staff make such a decision.
Patient/Dentist Relationships. It is important for the dentist to remember that in
professional dealings, it is necessary to separate personal and professional relationships. If
one feels the need to enter into a personal relationship with a patient, it is recommended
that the dentist first terminate responsibility for the patient’s care.
Loss of trust Trust is important, so close attention should be paid to the words used, also in
relation to knowledge and at the time of sharing the diagnosis. What the doctor says
becomes, in many cases, an indisputable truth for the patient. In addition, the different
clinical decisions will be the result of a diagnosis, which may be more or less difficult, or of a
possible technical difficulty inherent to treatment, but decisions should never be made due
to lack of knowledge or poor technical resources availability. Therefore, our only moral
obligation is to fulfill the duty guiding to maximize ethical values. If trust is lost between
patient and dentist the relationship will be compromised.
Patient Autonomy. Is the right of the patient to make his or her own decisions regarding
the treatment that he or she will receive. It was not long ago that the majority of dental
decisions were left in the hands of the dentist. Now, it is essential that the patient have the
final decision in his or her treatment. The dentist is responsible for providing the patient
with all of the available treatment options, the successes and hardships associated with
those treatments, and giving the patient the ability to make a decision that is informed and
best suits his or her needs.
Respect and equal treatment Disrespectful and unequal treatment of individuals and
groups was once considered normal and natural in most societies. Discrimination based on
race, age, disability, and sexual orientation is common. Clearly, there is still a lot of
opposition to the idea that everyone should be treated equally. Over the years, the dental
profession has held a variety of viewpoints on patient equity and rights. On the one hand,
dentists have been told not to “refuse to accept patients into their practice or deny dental
service to patients because of the patient’s race, creed, color, sex or national origin”
(American Dental Association: Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct). Only a
dentist's conscience, not the law or disciplinary authorities, should be used to deter human
rights violations in this situation.
Medical error. Since a dentist's or any medical professional's aim is to perform their duties
to the best of their ability without error, mistakes do happen. It is best that the dentist
remains honest in these cases and informs the patient of any discrepancies as soon as
possible. Such situations are restricted to those under which the doctor believes that
disclosing the information will jeopardize the patient's autonomy in some way.
Refusal of treatment. It may be desirable for the dentist to override a patient's wishes
when the patient refuses care, particularly if the patient has a mental disorder; however, a
mental condition does not mean the patient is incapable of making informed decisions. It's
important to treat these patients with the same dignity and care as any other patient. Other
 factors that can influence a patient's refusal to receive treatment include the patient's
willingness to pay for the treatment recommended. Dentists are at risk of creating a conflict
of interest, whether real or perceived, because they stand to benefit financially from their
professional recommendations. The level of financial gain must never be a consideration for
the dentist when treatment options are discussed, it may however be a consideration of the
patient, and the dentist must respect those decisions. If the patient’s relevant issues are
always considered and the patient is properly educated regarding the treatment, potential
outcomes, and cost, in the end, if the patient continues to refuse treatment, it may be
beneficial to make a referral.

 Discuss how the study of Ethics, law and professionalism is going to affect
your future currier as a dentist?
Ethics affect virtually every decision made in a dental office, encompassing activities of both
judging and choosing. Ethics affect relationships with patients, the public, office staff, and
other professionals. As a dentist, you have to make numerous decisions. Some decisions are
straightforward and easy; others can be very difficult. Ethics are inextricably linked with
these decisions and with the day-to-day activities of your office. When ethics are ignored,
you risk making unethical or less ethical decisions. Unethical decisions can lead to unethical
conduct. At a minimum, unethical conduct seriously compromises your service to patients
and undermines your ability to function as a professional.
Professionalism extends ethics to include the conduct, aims, and qualities that characterize
a professional or a profession. Professionalism relates to the behavior expected of one in a
learned profession. Professionalism embodies positive habits of conduct, judgment, and
perception on the part of both individual professionals and professional organizations.
Professionals and professional organizations give priority to the well-being and self-
determination of the patients they serve.
Professionalism has been viewed as that quality of conduct and character that accompanies
the use of superior knowledge, skill, and judgment, to the benefit of another, prior to any
consideration of self-interest. However, professionalism is more than a degree, particularly
in dentistry. It is here that the professional and ethics coincide and therefore go hand in
hand.
The fundamental ethical principles governing dentists, and any healthcare workers, include
protecting a patient's life and health at all times, to respect the patients autonomy to make
informed choices about what happens to them, and to do this fairly and without prejudice.
Thus the fundamental principles of ethics and law have many similarities, however, most
individuals concur that law is perhaps better defined as the formal rules and regulations by
which a society is governed, while ethics are informal or formal rules of behavior that guide
individuals or groups of people. Essentially, legal rights are grounded in written law while
ethical rights are grounded on principles and values.
In dentistry, the dental professional is subject to both the written law and the professional
code of ethical conduct. Like many other professions, the field of dentistry has the right and
obligation to regulate itself—to determine and judge its own members. The ability to have
such regulations is achieved largely through the influence of professional societies, such as
the American Dental Association (ADA). Though the ADA is not a governing body and is not
a legal guardian or enforcer, its established Code of Ethics is generally accepted as the “law”
for those who are members of the Association. Although the code is presented in the form
of general guidelines and holds no legal ramifications for infractions, the Code of Ethics
clearly evokes ideals that most dentists would agree should be followed when carrying out
professional activities, whether they are related to patients or to fellow practitioners.
Usually the requirements of dental ethics and law are similar. But ethics should not be
confused with law. One difference between the two is that laws can differ significantly from
one country to another while ethics is generally applicable across national boundaries. In
addition, ethics quite often prescribes higher standards of behaviour than does the law, and
occasionally situations may arise where the two conflict. In such circumstances dentists
must use their own best judgement whether to comply with the law or follow ethical
principles. Where unjust laws conflict with ethical principles, dentists should work
individually and collectively to change the laws. Although dentists should be familiar with
the legal aspects of dentistry, the focus of this Manual is on ethics, moral values and
professional commitments rather than law.