Dental ethics for the 21st century: learning from the Charter on Medical Professionalism

At chairside the dentist is obligated to act primarily in the patients' interests, to fully and honestly inform patients, enable them to make their own treatment choices, and provide competent, continually improving care. Dentists must also recognize that they have a responsibility to reduce existing barriers to access to care in their communities. These long-standing principles of health care practice have found a new expression in the "Charter of Medical Professionalism." The charter is the work of an international consortium that has reviewed the applicability of existing ethical standards to the challenges facing 21st century practitioners and has revised and restated the fundamental principles of ethical health care practice to effectuate a code of conduct for the new century. The author will review professional ethics in the context of the historical doctor-patient relationship, explore how the transition to modern treatment modalities has affected the professional-patient relationship, and will appraise the charter as a valuable resource in redefining dental professionalism for the future.