Dental EthicsDental Ethics

Dental EthicsDental EthicsEthics deals with MORAL Ethics deals with MORAL CONTACT, duty, and CONTACT, duty, and judgment.judgment.

It’s concerned with standards It’s concerned with standards for determining wither actions for determining wither actions are right or wrong.are right or wrong.

These are voluntary controls, These are voluntary controls, not laws, and serve as a not laws, and serve as a method of self-polishing within method of self-polishing within a professiona profession

American Dental Assistants American Dental Assistants Association Principals of Association Principals of

EthicsEthicsThis code of ethics functions This code of ethics functions as a standard of ethics for all as a standard of ethics for all practicing dental assistantspracticing dental assistants

Principles of EthicsPrinciples of Ethics*Each individual involved in the practice of *Each individual involved in the practice of dentistry assumes the obligation to maintain dentistry assumes the obligation to maintain and enrich the professionand enrich the profession*Each member may choose to meet this *Each member may choose to meet this obligation according to the dictate of personal obligation according to the dictate of personal conscience based on the needs of the human conscience based on the needs of the human beings the profession of dentistry is committed beings the profession of dentistry is committed to serve. The spirit of the Golden Rule is the to serve. The spirit of the Golden Rule is the basic guiding principle of this concept.basic guiding principle of this concept.*The member must strive to maintain *The member must strive to maintain confidentiality and to exhibit respect for the confidentiality and to exhibit respect for the dentist dentist

Principles of EthicsPrinciples of Ethics* The member shall refrain from performing * The member shall refrain from performing any professional service that is prohibited by any professional service that is prohibited by state law and has obligation to prove state law and has obligation to prove competence prior to providing services to competence prior to providing services to any patientany patient*The member shall constantly strive to *The member shall constantly strive to upgrade and expand technical skills for the upgrade and expand technical skills for the benefit of the employer and the consumer benefit of the employer and the consumer publicpublic*The member should additionally seek to *The member should additionally seek to sustain and improve the local organization, sustain and improve the local organization, state association, and the American Dental state association, and the American Dental Assistants Association by active participation Assistants Association by active participation and personal commitment and personal commitment

The Assistant as a The Assistant as a representative of the Dental representative of the Dental

ProfessionProfessionEach DA, in both his or her Each DA, in both his or her

professional & personal life, acts at professional & personal life, acts at all times as a representative of the all times as a representative of the

dental teamdental team

She’s NOT qualified to make a She’s NOT qualified to make a diagnosis, to establish a fee for a diagnosis, to establish a fee for a dental service, or to comment on dental service, or to comment on the quality of dental treatment the quality of dental treatment

that has been performedthat has been performed

The Dental TeamThe Dental Team

Although the individual Although the individual members of the dental health members of the dental health team have specific duties and team have specific duties and areas of responsibility, they areas of responsibility, they are ALL working together are ALL working together toward the shared goal of toward the shared goal of

providing the best possible providing the best possible care for their patients care for their patients

The Dental TeamThe Dental Team

The composition of the dental The composition of the dental health team within an health team within an

individual office or clinic may individual office or clinic may vary, yet there’s no question vary, yet there’s no question that the dentist is the leader that the dentist is the leader

of the teamof the team

The Dental TeamThe Dental Team

The dentist is in charge and The dentist is in charge and must retain ultimate must retain ultimate

responsibility for the well-responsibility for the well-being of the patients and the being of the patients and the

actions of the employer actions of the employer

The Dental TeamThe Dental Team

All members of the team All members of the team must give their complete must give their complete support and loyalty to the support and loyalty to the dentist who’s the leader of dentist who’s the leader of

their teamtheir team

The Dental TeamThe Dental Team

The success of the dental The success of the dental team, like that of any other team, like that of any other

team, is dependant upon the team, is dependant upon the attitudes and cooperation of all attitudes and cooperation of all

team membersteam members

The Dental TeamThe Dental Team

They must be able to work They must be able to work together in close harmony and together in close harmony and be willing to help each other be willing to help each other

at all timesat all times

The Dental TeamThe Dental Team

Team members must have the Team members must have the flexibility of personality flexibility of personality

necessary for close necessary for close cooperation and mutual cooperation and mutual

support support

The Dental TeamThe Dental Team

Anyone who’s unable to work Anyone who’s unable to work and cooperate with the others and cooperate with the others

may be on the wrong teammay be on the wrong team