title: How do I comment ethically on the work of colleagues?
abstract: Patients are entitled to know about their dental and oral health, and practitioners have an ethical duty to inform them on an honest and factual basis. If this can be done without denigrating one's colleagues in any way, both patients and practitioners can benefit. As professionals, our first obligation is to place the well-being of our patients ahead of our own interests. First and foremost and for patient autonomy, we must give patients complete and truthful information regarding their current oral health status. When asked to comment on another dentist's treatment, it is not unethical or unprofessional to remember that the burden of proof regarding faulty or bad treatment s demanding and a prudent dentist must exercise great caution before making comments about other dentist's treatment. Uninformed and unjustifiable criticism is disparaging and can lead to unpleasant consequences for the unwary professional. Comprehensive and accurate records would be needed by both dentists to support their clinical judgement, if this case ever resulted in a complaint.
authors: Faculty of Dentistry, University of the Western Cape, Department of Community Dentistry, Tygerberg. suenaidoo@uwc.ac.za
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Naidoo
mesh_terms: D003729:Dental Care / Q000941:ethics* / Q000592:standards; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D003815:Dentists / Q000941:ethics* / Q000592:standards; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D004990:Ethics, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations / Q000941:ethics; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards