Code Of Ethics In Dentistry

A strong ethical or moral code in all aspects of a student’s life will help shape their behavior in both their education and in their career as a dentist. I believe the steps that we take in being morally good in minor things can shape our attitude and morality towards bigger things such as in patient care. Growing up in India, I was expected to strictly adhere to rules both in my home and in school. If students were caught in unethical activities such as cheating, the punishment was harsh and included immediate expulsion and physical disciplinary actions from teachers. These strict consequences greatly discouraged students from even attempting to cheat. However, when I immigrated to the U.S. I realized that students were not as reluctant to break rules. This might be because the …show more content…
This is not just a negative behavior in the classroom but it can certainly be detrimental in clinics when the student may put their interests above proper patient care and in the process may jeopardize patient safety.
Code of ethics in the healthcare field, especially dentistry, is multi-faceted and includes principles such as beneficence, veracity, non-maleficence and patient autonomy. These work together in guiding dental professionals in providing proper care for the patient and to avoid mistakes that may lead to grave consequences.
Veracity or being truthful is not only important in the classroom, but also in the clinics. For example, if a student doctor accidently exposes a pulp while doing a root canal surgery, they should not hide their mistake but must report this to their instructor as well as the patient. Veracity ensures that we treat all patients with respect and do not consider them as just a means but instead as someone who has trusted us with their dental health and more. Only if we practice truthfulness in our educational journey can we continue to practice it as