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Related Experiment Videos

Overservicing in dental practice--ethical perspectives.

Johan Hartshorne1, Thomas K Hasegawa

  • 1Baylor College of Dentistry, 3302 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75246, USA. harties@mweb.co.za

SADJ : Journal of the South African Dental Association = Tydskrif Van Die Suid-Afrikaanse Tandheelkundige Vereniging
|February 18, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Overservicing in dentistry, including unnecessary or fraudulent treatment, is unethical and inflates healthcare costs. Dentists must prioritize patient interests over financial gain to maintain professional integrity.

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Area of Science:

  • Dental Ethics
  • Healthcare Economics
  • Professional Conduct

Background:

  • Overservicing, defined as unnecessary or fraudulent treatment, is a significant contributor to rising healthcare costs.
  • This practice creates an ethical conflict between patient, provider, and funder interests, particularly in dentistry where financial incentives can influence treatment recommendations.
  • Factors like low medical aid tariffs and high practice overheads can drive dentists towards overservicing for economic survival.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide dentists with guidance on ethical decision-making processes.
  • To outline ethical principles, moral rules, and professional standards of care.
  • To address the conflict between business considerations and ethical patient care in dentistry.

Main Methods:

Keywords:
American College of DentistsBioethics and Professional EthicsHealth Care and Public Health

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  • This review synthesizes ethical principles and professional guidelines relevant to dental practice.
  • It examines the motivations and causes behind overservicing in the dental sector.
  • The review discusses the regulatory landscape and professional self-governance in dentistry.

Main Results:

  • Overservicing is characterized as unethical conduct, akin to lying, cheating, or stealing, breaching professional integrity.
  • Economic motives, such as financial gain and survival, are identified as primary drivers for overservicing.
  • Unintentional overtreatment due to outdated practices or unclear diagnostic criteria, as well as patient demand, also contribute to the issue.

Conclusions:

  • Business interests, including profit and economic survival, cannot ethically justify overservicing.
  • Dentists have a professional obligation to prioritize patient well-being above self-interest.
  • Ethical practice within a business structure is achievable when patient best interests are consistently prioritized.