Developing an ethic of access to care in dentistry

Area of Science:

• Dental Ethics
• Professionalism in Healthcare
• Access to Care

Background:

• Professionalism in dentistry includes the ethical responsibility to ensure patient access to care.
• Current dental education models may not adequately emphasize the public service component of professionalism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the ethical imperative of providing access to care within dental professionalism.
• To present actionable strategies for dental education to strengthen the public service aspect of professionalism.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on professionalism and access to care in dental education.
• Analysis of existing dental education frameworks.
• Development of recommendations for curriculum and training.

Main Results:

• Dental education can proactively instill public service values.
• Opportunities exist to enhance professionalism at multiple stages: pre-admission, during the program, and post-graduation.
• Specific interventions can foster a stronger commitment to public service.

Conclusions:

• Integrating public service into dental education is crucial for upholding professional ethics.
• Dental schools can implement targeted strategies to cultivate a greater sense of public duty among future dentists.
• Enhancing the public service aspect of professionalism benefits both the dental profession and society.