Dental Ethics

Ethics deals with MORAL CONTACT, duty, and judgment. It ’ s concerned with standards for determining wither actions are right or wrong. These are voluntary controls, not laws, and serve as a method of self-polishing within a profession

American Dental Assistants Association Principals of Ethics This code of ethics functions as a standard of ethics for all practicing dental assistants

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

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

The Assistant as a representative of the Dental Profession Each DA, in both his or her professional & personal life, acts at all times as a representative of the dental team She ’ s NOT qualified to make a diagnosis, to establish a fee for a dental service, or to comment on the quality of dental treatment that has been performed

The Dental Team Although the individual members of the dental health team have specific duties and areas of responsibility, they are ALL working together toward the shared goal of providing the best possible care for their patients

The Dental Team The composition of the dental health team within an individual office or clinic may vary, yet there ’ s no question that the dentist is the leader of the team

The Dental Team The dentist is in charge and must retain ultimate responsibility for the well-being of the patients and the actions of the employer

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

The Dental Team The success of the dental team, like that of any other team, is dependant upon the attitudes and cooperation of all team members

The Dental Team They must be able to work together in close harmony and be willing to help each other at all times

The Dental Team Team members must have the flexibility of personality necessary for close cooperation and mutual support

The Dental Team Anyone who ’ s unable to work and cooperate with the others may be on the wrong team