Paradise Lost; the reputation of the dental profession and regulatory scope

In their recent article in this Journal, Affleck and Macnish (BDJ 2016) state that when questionable, private behaviour of dental professionals does not directly affect patient care or safety, the General Dental Council should have no interest in disciplinary action. They argue that the private affairs of dental professionals have no bearing upon their professional practice. This article is a response to this conclusion in which I examine the relationship between professional and private matters within the context of social media. I also demonstrate that regulatory action in response to behaviour which damages the reputation of the dental profession is more than just appropriate, but also essential in order to preserve the profession's relationship with society. While valid to a point, I find that Affleck and Macnish's view on this issue is too narrow and to fully appreciate the ethical quandaries within this issue, we must adopt a more holistic perspective of the nature of professionalism.