The American Dental Association has been around since 1866 and provides a code of ethics and moral principles for a dentist to follow. A dentist is obligated by the code of ethics to be a professional and must follow the Dental Practice Acts which regulate the field of dentistry with a main purpose of protecting the public. A dentist should always consider the preferences of their patients’ wishes, but it would be unethical to remove healthy tissue according to the ADA’s code of ethics. There is really no difference between a doctors’ code of ethics and a dentists’ code of ethics in that they are both looking after the best interest of the patient. They must treat the patient as symptoms occur and not try to predict if there will be medical problems later. Our group discussed this case and decided that we would not do the procedure on the patient. We believe that the patient would still find a doctor that was not as discerning of the code of ethics and complete the procedure for the monetary gain anyway.
1.) I don't feel that there is any significant difference between the denist-patient relationship and the physician-patient relationship. They both should ensure the best optimal care for the patient. They just happen to work on two different areas of the body. 2.) I would not take Patrick on as a patient. If you already told him that there is no use in taking the healthy tissue, I would send him on his way and let him go see another doctor. You would be saving yourself in the long-run.
The physician-patient relationship and dentist-patient relationship are comparable with no significant differences. Each perform life-saving and or life-changing procedures and also health maintenance. Patrick's desires are utilitarian in nature. He wishes to remove healthy tissue to avoid any future issues. The endodontist realizes that it is well within the patients right to act freely and have expectations, but morally the endodonist should not accede to these wishes. Although the principle of respect for autonomy suggests that health-care professionals should not interfere with patient autonomy, the endodonist should also not perform unnecessary procedures that may cause more harm to the patient in the long run.
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ReplyDeleteThe American Dental Association has been around since 1866 and provides a code of ethics and moral principles for a dentist to follow. A dentist is obligated by the code of ethics to be a professional and must follow the Dental Practice Acts which regulate the field of dentistry with a main purpose of protecting the public. A dentist should always consider the preferences of their patients’ wishes, but it would be unethical to remove healthy tissue according to the ADA’s code of ethics.
ReplyDeleteThere is really no difference between a doctors’ code of ethics and a dentists’ code of ethics in that they are both looking after the best interest of the patient. They must treat the patient as symptoms occur and not try to predict if there will be medical problems later.
Our group discussed this case and decided that we would not do the procedure on the patient. We believe that the patient would still find a doctor that was not as discerning of the code of ethics and complete the procedure for the monetary gain anyway.
1.) I don't feel that there is any significant difference between the denist-patient relationship and the physician-patient relationship. They both should ensure the best optimal care for the patient. They just happen to work on two different areas of the body. 2.) I would not take Patrick on as a patient. If you already told him that there is no use in taking the healthy tissue, I would send him on his way and let him go see another doctor. You would be saving yourself in the long-run.
ReplyDeleteThe physician-patient relationship and dentist-patient relationship are comparable with no significant differences. Each perform life-saving and or life-changing procedures and also health maintenance. Patrick's desires are utilitarian in nature. He wishes to remove healthy tissue to avoid any future issues. The endodontist realizes that it is well within the patients right to act freely and have expectations, but morally the endodonist should not accede to these wishes. Although the principle of respect for autonomy suggests that health-care professionals should not interfere with patient autonomy, the endodonist should also not perform unnecessary procedures that may cause more harm to the patient in the long run.
ReplyDelete