tailieunhanh - Dental Clinics of North America Vol 51 (2007)

Where is the professional and public outrage at the troubling trends in the marketing and selling of ‘‘cosmetic’’ dentistry that besiege our profession today? The code of primum non noceredfirst and foremost do no harmdseems to have been cast aside in the headlong pursuit of outrageous overtreatment for financial gain by some. Fortunately, this trend is manifest by a small, although unfortunately highly visible, minority in the profession. Their actions, however, affect all in the dental profession, as the public begins to understand what is being sold to them in the name of ‘‘changing lives.’’ The American Dental Association’s ‘‘Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct’’ states,. | ELSEVIER SAUNDERS THE DENTAL CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA Dent Clin N Am 51 2007 281-287 Editorial Commerce versus Care Troubling Trends in the Ethics of Esthetic Dentistry Where is the professional and public outrage at the troubling trends in the marketing and selling of cosmetic dentistry that besiege our profession today The code of primum non nocere first and foremost do no harm seems to have been cast aside in the headlong pursuit of outrageous overtreatment for financial gain by some. Fortunately this trend is manifest by a small although unfortunately highly visible minority in the profession. Their actions however affect all in the dental profession as the public begins to understand what is being sold to them in the name of changing lives. The American Dental Association s Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct states The dental professional holds a special position of trust within society. As a consequence society affords the profession certain privileges that are not available to members of the public-at-large. In return the profession makes a commitment to society that its members will adhere to high ethical standards of conduct 1 . Thus there is an implied contract between the dental profession and society. One would expect therefore outrage or at least umbrage to be shown by society and from fellow members of the profession if the implied contract is pushed to its limits as I believe is happening today with the balance between commerce versus care tilting toward commerce at the expense of care. There are several ethical issues that should concern us all such as the use of false or nonrecognized credentials promoted by nonaccredited institutions reliance on unproved science to promote treatments exaggeration of clinical skills and education unnecessary treatment and services lack of full informed consent harmful practices such as the unnecessary removal of tooth structure and the replacement of highly clinically successful materials such as