The future of dental ethics: Part 1. What to hope for and the challenge of getting there

A vision is presented of six ethical skills that every practicing dentist should ideally possess. To achieve this vision will require substantial strengthening in the ethics curricula in dental schools and development of a well-trained cadre of ethics teachers. Ethics leaders must also be developed and programs made available to reach practicing dentists. Finally, the body of scholarship in dental ethics must be fortified. Such a long-range and far-reaching project will require leadership, recruitment and training, and sustained funding.