Ethical issues of performing invasive/irreversible dental treatment for purposes of licensure.
A case involving a patient sitting for an initial licensure examination is used to develop several ethical issues in detail. These include misalignment of those bearing the risks and dangers of such tests, lack of respect for patient autonomy, and compromises in the standard of care and avoidable and dysfunctional stress inherent in the examination system as it is currently conducted.
Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, USA. thasegawa@tambcd.edu
Thomas K
TK
Hasegawa
D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003729:Dental Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D004990:Ethics, Dental; D006801:Humans; D008005:Licensure, Dental / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010685:Philosophy, Dental; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology; D014481:United States