Ethical Issues in Dental Care
As health care providers, dentists shoulder a heavy burden of responsibility to act in an ethical manner at all times. And
like any other health care professionals, they are often faced with ethical dilemmas. They may have to deal with such issues as rapidly changing technology (and decisions about whether the associated costs, training, and risks are worth the advanced care that can be offered via such equipment, software, and materials) and the difficulties that can result from third-party payment (as with health insurance). But perhaps that biggest source of ethical issues comes in the form of interactions with patients, and if you opt to practice dentistry of any stripe you will undoubtedly encounter ethical concerns when it comes to keeping patients safe and informed, and helping them to make educated decisions concerning their oral health.
It is the duty of health care providers to first do no harm, and there are many ways that this can be viewed. For starters, you need to do everything possible to protect the confidentiality of your patients. In this day and age it is all too easy for skilled hackers to break into files that are inadequately protected. And while you might not think that the information you keep in your records could be as harmful as, say, medical records, think again. In most cases cyber-criminals are after identities (name, address, credit card number, etc.), not medical histories. And if there is a break-in and subsequent theft of such information you could be facing some very unhappy customers (and a class-action lawsuit). So make sure that your online storage is secure.
Another major concern is informed consent. Part of your job is to make sure that patients understand all of their options when it comes to dental care, including the right to refuse treatment or seek a second opinion if they don’t like your assessment and recommendations. Of course, they also need to know the ramifications of failing to treat serious conditions. On the whole, most dentists strive to nurture a trusting relationship with patients so that these extreme measures are never necessary, but the truth is that nearly all patients are going to get news they don’t want to hear at some point (root canal, tooth extraction, etc.) and the onus is on you to be sure they understand all possible options before they make a decision.
Of course, you also have the right to refuse service to patients for a variety of reasons, and often there will be ethical issues on this front as well. For one thing, you are medical professional. This can make it very difficult to refuse treatment to anyone in need. But you are also running a business, so you can’t really afford to treat patients that won’t or can’t pay (no insurance or a spotty history of payments, for example). And if you suspect that a patient abuses drugs, has mental health issues, or even has communicable diseases, you may wish to abort treatment for your own safety as well as that of the staff, your business, and of course, the patient. But still, it can be a very difficult decision to make.
Health care providers of all types face these and other ethical issues constantly and they can easily derail the dentist that is unprepared. So it behooves you to continue your education, including discourses on ethics in your industry. And always do your best to consider what you might want if you were sitting in that chair. This will help to ensure that you land on the right side of any ethical consideration.
Shirley Simpson is a contributing writer for 1Dental where you can compare and save on top dental insurance plans like Aetna dental insurance and many others.