Dental Ethics at Chairside : Professional Principles and Practical Applications

by Ozar, David T., Phd; Sokol, David J., Dds

• ISBN13: 9780878407590
• ISBN10: 0878407596
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-07-01
• Publisher: Georgetown Univ Pr

Summary

Ozar and Sokol present a practical guide to contemporary ethical questions for the dental community at large. Starting with the dentist's fundamental professional obligations and central values, this book examines the assumptions behind current published codes and opinions. Topics and case studies include ethical advertising, competition and communication between dentists, the dentist's obligation vs. personal risk, economic issues, conflicts of interest between patient and dentist, patients with impaired capacities, HIV/AIDS, and aesthetic values.

Originally published by Mosby in 1994.

Author Biography

David T. Ozar, Ph.D., F.A.C.D., is director, Center for Ethics and Social Justice, and professor, Department of Philosophy, Loyola University of Chicago. He is an honorary Fellow of the American College of Dentists. David J. Sokol, D.D.S., J.D., F.A.G.D., is a dentist with many years of private practice experience, and is also in the practice of dental and medical health and malpractice law in Highland Mills, N.Y.

Table of Contents

PART ONE THE DENTAL PROFESSION AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
Introduction	1	(7)
Ethical Issues in Dental Practice	1	(1)
Ethical Questions and Legal Questions	2	(1)
Choosing to be Ethical	3	(1)
Published Codes of Conduct and Ethics Committees	3	(1)
Habits	4	(1)
The Terms Moral and Ethical	5	(1)
Do Ethical Questions Have Answers?	5	(1)
Sources of Ethical Views and Convictions	6	(1)
Who Writes a Book on Dental Ethics?	6	(2)
Profession and Professional Obligation	8	(15)
Dentistry as a Profession	11	(1)
Dentistry: The Commercial Picture	12	(2)
Dentistry: The Normative Picture	14	(3)
The Content of Professional Obligations	17	(2)
The Introductory Cases	19	(1)
Thinking About the Case	20	(3)
The Questions of Professional Ethics	23	(13)
Why This Kind of Case?	26	(1)
Obligation	27	(1)
Commentary on the Case	28	(3)
Eight Categories of Professional Obligation	31	(5)
The Relationship Between Patient and Professional	36	(19)
The Dentist-Patient Relationship	37	(1)
Four Models of the Dentist-Patient Relationship	38	(7)
Autonomy and the Question of Justifiable Paternalism	45	(4)
Truth-Telling and Informed Consent	49	(2)
Thinking About the Case	51	(4)
The Central Values of Dental Practices	55	(20)
Studying a Profession's Central Values	56	(3)
The Central Values of Dental Practice	59	(5)
Ranking Dentistry's Central Values	64	(5)
Thinking About the Case	69	(6)
Ethical Decision-Making and Conflicting Obligations	75	(26)
Difficult Professional-Ethical Judgments	78	(1)
A Model of Professional-Ethical Decision-Making	78	(2)
Sacrifice and the Relative Priority of Patients' Well-Being	80	(5)
Conflicting Professional Obligations	85	(1)
Conflicts Between Professional and Other Obligations	86	(1)
Conscientious Disobedience of Professional Obligations	87	(1)
Habits, Moral Reasoning, and Conscience	88	(3)
Thinking About the Case	91	(10)
PART TWO ETHICAL ISSUES IN DENTAL PRACTICE
Patients with Compromised Capacity	101	(20)
Treatment Decisions for Patients with Compromised Capacity	102	(2)
The Role of Parents and Legal Guardians	104	(2)
The Capacity for Autonomous Decision-Making	106	(6)
Dealing with Patients with Partially Compromised Capacity	112	(6)
Thinking About the Case	118	(3)
Education and Cooperation	121	(13)
Supporting Patient Education and Cooperation	124	(2)
The Ideal Relationship, Respecting Autonomy, and Education	126	(1)
Integrity and Education	127	(1)
How Much Sacrifice is Required?	128	(1)
Firing the Extremely Noncooperative Patient	129	(2)
Thinking About the Case	131	(3)
Bad Outcomes and Bad Work	134	(31)
Applying Professional Norms to Bad Outcomes	135	(2)
When the Patient is Another Dentist's Patient	137	(3)
Three Situations	140	(2)
If the Patient Asks in the Third Situation	142	(8)
The First and Second Situations Revisited	150	(2)
When the Patient Doesn't Ask	152	(1)
Calling the Other Dentist	153	(1)
When My Patient Has Another Dentist's Bad Outcome	153	(3)
When the Bad Outcome or Bad Work is My Own	156	(5)
Thinking About the Case	161	(4)
Working Together	165	(23)
Collaboration vs. the Myth of the Lone Ranger	168	(2)
Collaboration Between Generalists and Specialists	170	(2)
Working Together Through Conflict	172	(4)
Impaired Dentists	176	(1)
Other Collaborators and Other Challenges	177	(5)
Thinking About the Case	182	(6)
HIV and AIDS in Patients	188	(17)
The Ethical Challenges of HIV and AIDS	189	(1)
The Obligation to Accept Risk and its Limits	190	(4)
Caution Beyond the Universal Precautions	194	(2)
A Distinctive Pattern of Thinking	196	(2)
The Obligation of Confidentiality	198	(4)
Thinking About the Case	202	(3)
The HIV-Positive Care Giver	205	(14)
The HIV-Positive Dentist and the Risk to Patients	206	(4)
Should Patients be Informed of the Dentist's HIV Status?	210	(3)
Testing Dentists for HIV	213	(1)
The Community's Responsibility to Seropositive Practitioners	213	(1)
A Dentist's Staff and Seroconversion	214	(2)
Thinking About the Case	216	(3)
Social Justice and Access to Dental Care	219	(15)
Social Justice	220	(1)
Basic Needs and the Just Distribution of Dental Care	221	(2)
Contribution and Effort as Possible Criteria	223	(3)
The Free Market View of Justice	226	(2)
Basic Dental Care	228	(2)
Thinking About the Case	230	(4)
Dentistry as a Business	234	(21)
New Challenges for Dentistry	236	(2)
Ethical Advertising	238	(6)
The Competitive Spirit and Professional Integrity	244	(2)
Different Models and Philosophies of Dental Practice	246	(2)
Thinking About the Case	248	(7)
The Dental Profession and the Community	255	(2)
The Obligations of the Profession as a Whole	257	(3)
Chief Client, Central Values, and Competence	260	(3)
More on Competence	263	(1)
More on the Central Values	264	(1)
Relationship to Co-Professionals	265	(1)
Integrity and Education, and the Priority of the Patient	265	(1)
Thinking About the Case	266	(2)
Relationship to the Patient and to the Larger Community	268	(2)
Conclusion	270
Appendix Bibliographic Essay