Ethics (ETH05-DN)

The core of all health professions is rooted in a code of professional conduct; as such, the ethical principles as they apply to healthcare practitioners are used to guide practitioners in making the best decisions for patients, the community at large and last but not least, our given profession. As healthcare professionals, we must be knowledgeable about ethical principles, legal issues, regulatory affairs and all resources available to us. This course explores the ethical, legal and regulatory aspects of being a dentist. Primarily the course covers the federal and state laws that govern practicing dentists and a few of the court cases that have shaped such activities as non-discrimination, gaining informed consent from the patient, and the protections afforded by state and federal laws, such as, the Americans with Disabilities Act. The course is designed to encourage the student to apply the ethical principles to their practice when confronted with challenges to the provision of care. In addition, the course will examine the peer review system used in the profession to resolve conflicts, the role of the State Board of Dentistry through the Office of Professional Discipline in attempting to protect the public from incompetent practitioners, and the role of the legal system in relation to the profession. By the end of this course, it is expected that you can correctly apply the State Dental Practice Act and the ADA Code of Professional Conduct and Ethical Principles to a case or set of circumstances. This course is open only to students in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program. Core curriculum.