The future of dental ethics: promises needed

The future development of professional dental ethics requires a core group of dentists well-trained in ethics: teachers, scholars, and researchers who are also firmly grounded in the clinical aspects of the profession.This will require a significant increase in the number of individuals who can work with a range of moral views, ethical communities, and religious traditions. Proposals for addressing this situation include: the creation of a dental ethics institute, the funding of an endowed dental ethics chair, a one-year professional dental ethics fellowship program, the development of a program of ethics certification, and the initiation of a "positive ethics" self-assessment program designed specifically for dental practices and organizations. Systemic and philanthropic efforts from dental organizations will be needed to support these endeavors. Some can be initiated through existing programs and organizations.