Dental students persuade the Michigan Dental Association to strengthen its codes of ethics: do actions speak louder than words?
This is a case study of how four different groups viewed proposed language in professional ethics codes regarding personal relationships with patients. The ADA Council on Ethics, Bylaws, and Judicial Affairs; the House of Delegates of the Michigan State Dental Association; and first-year students at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry favored a strongly worded statement in their codes, while the House of Delegates of the ADA passed a statement that was more "advisory" in nature. Support material concerning the statement on personal relationships is presented as an ethics case, and suggestions are presented regarding the ethical principles underlying positions on the issue.
Lantz
Marilyn S
MS
University of Michigan School of Dentistry, MD, USA. mslantz@umich.edu
D000571:American Dental Association; D032781:Codes of Ethics; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D004990:Ethics, Dental; D006801:Humans; D008824:Michigan; D012953:Societies, Dental / Q000941:ethics*; D013335:Students, Dental; D014481:United States