A position paper: six lessons about managed care in dentistry

The limitation of resources available for oral health care makes it inevitable that groups (such as third parties) would arise with a view toward conservation of these resources. Although the concept of adequate care has been generally operationally defined in dentistry, a confusion remains between adequate and best. Dentists may be under an ethical obligation to inform patients of all available treatment options (ranging from the adequate to the best) and to perform the selected treatment to the best of their ability, but they are not under an obligation to offer only the best alternative or to expect that society will make the resources available for that level of care.