title: New technologies: quackery or fraud?
abstract: A few dentists are responsible for most of the unconventional or unethical dentistry performed on the public. However, the influence of a few can have a major effect on the public's trust of the profession. Suppressing the introduction or continued development of new technologies in the dental profession is not the solution. Rather, new technologies should be integrated into existing established modes of dental practice. Innovations are good for the dental profession and for the public. As prudent dentists, our goal should be to critically assess innovations and demand validation before allowing unconditional widespread use in dental procedures. Regarding unethical clinicians, they probably always will put their interest ahead of the patient's. However, through peer pressure and enhanced education in ethics early in dental education, we can begin to minimize such activity within the profession.
authors.affiliation: Dental Services, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: E Steven
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Duke
mesh_terms: D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D005607:Fraud / Q000941:ethics*; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006801:Humans; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards; D011781:Quackery / Q000941:ethics*
chemical_list: D003764:Dental Materials