Disruptures in the Dental Ethos: The Birth, Life, & Neoliberal Retirement of Norms in Advertising & Corporatization.

This paper argues that the trends in advertising and corporatization in dentistry since the 1970s have resulted in processes of de-professionalization and de-regulation, respectively.

Nuevo Código de Ética Profesional Odontológica en Chile: Contribución para una Relación Médico-Paciente Moderna / New Code of Professional Ethics for Dentist in Chile: Contribution for a Modern Doctor-Patient Relationship

RESUMEN: El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el Código de Ética propuesto recientemente por el Colegio de Cirujano Dentistas de Chile a la luz de la revisión de los códigos vigentes en otros países del mundo, discutiendo los temas que son más frecuentemente regulados en ellos, en lo referente a la relación médico-paciente. Se llevó a cabo una búsqueda en páginas web de acceso público de los Códigos de Ética Odontológica de Chile, Unión Europea, Estados Unidos, Australia y algunos países latinoamericanos. Se realizó la dentificación, clasificación, selección y análisis de los temas considerados más relevantes. En lo referido a la relación odontólogo-paciente, los temas seleccionados fueron: consentimiento informado, confidencialidad y secreto profesional, discriminación en la atención, atenciones de urgencia, aplicación de estándares de calidad actualizados, y especialización. Existen grandes diferencias en cuanto a la profundidad al tratar cada uno de los temas y en el alcance de las normas dictadas. Creemos que estas diferencias podrían deberse, por un lado, a la diversidad sociocultural de los países de la muestra analizada y, por otro, a las distintas legislaciones existentes sobre estos temas en cada uno de los países de la muestra.

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to analyze the new Code of Ethics recently presented by the Chilean Colegio de Cirujano Dentistas, in light of the results obtained in the revision of the Codes of other countries, focusing on the doctor-patient relationship. Search and obtain from public websites, the Codes of Ethics from the European Union, the United States, Australia and some Latin American countries. Identification, classification, selection and analysis of the most relevant topics. Regarding the dentist-patient relationship, the selected topics were: Informed consent, confidentiality and professional secrecy, discrimination in care, emergency care, application of up-to-date quality standards and specialization. We observed important differences in regards to the depth in which each topic is covered, and the scope of the established norms. We believe that these differences may arise as a result, on the one hand, of the sociocultural diversity of the analyzed countries and, on the other hand, of the different legislations that these countries may have in place on those topics.

Ethics of Gaming the System.

Dentists justifiably bridle at having to compromise what they believe, based on evidence, is in the patients' best interests based on reimbursement rules of benefits providers. Benefits providers justifiably bridle at having to pay for services not contracted by those who purchase insurance. A particular case involving performing multiple quadrants of root planing at a single appointment is used as an example of this tension. One alternative is for the profession and the industry to seek to negotiate a win-win joint position. Another is for a few to game the system, which only makes it more difficult to reach ethical common ground.