Dentists have ethical obligations to not only care for patients but also serve the public at large, especially during a public health crisis, according to a new advisory opinion included in the American Dental Association's Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct.
Titled "Elective and Non-Emergent Procedures during a Public Health Emergency," the guidance aims to balance sometimes conflicting ethical obligations to an individual patient and the public, as was experienced during the early days of the pandemic, said Robert Wilson, DDS, chair of the council.
"The pandemic forced dentists to shift their attention from the patient in our operatory to the entire community while never neglecting the best interest of our patients," Dr. Wilson said.
The new guidance published Dec. 14 acknowledges that during public health crises, the dentist's ethical obligation to the public may supersede the dentist's ethical obligations to individual patients.
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