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Knowledge attitude and practice among dentists in Dakshina Kannada, India regarding ethical concerns in extraction of
Athira Purushothaman1, Poonam R Naik2
1Post graduate student, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Yenepoya Dental College, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, INDIA.
Background:
Truth-telling and autonomy go hand in hand. As a result, it is a breach of the patients' rights to autonomy when medical errors are not disclosed to them. The aim of this study is to describe knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding ethical considerations among dentists following extraction of the wrong tooth.
Methods:
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among dentists in Dakshina Kannada, India, who have had a minimum experience of 50 extractions in their practice. A validated scenario-based questionnaire was used to collect data and circulated via Google forms forwarded through email or an instant messaging application.
Results:
A total of 116 dentists responded to the survey. The majority (83, 71.6%) agreed that extraction of the wrong tooth though unintentional is considered as maleficence or negligence in dental practice. More than 70% participants (85) believed that the patient had the right to be informed about the mishap and deserved compensation for the same, while 38.8% participants agreed that dentists are less likely to be complained against if they disclosed the mishap verbally. Six responses to open ended questions reported that extraction of the wrong tooth had occurred to their knowledge.
Conclusion:
The majority of responses in our study appear to indicate that participants embrace the ideals of justice, autonomy, and non-maleficence. This study may have influenced the participants' attitudes regarding ethical issues related to incorrect tooth extraction and other iatrogenic errors they may encounter in their own or in a colleague's practice.
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