Formal ethics instruction in dental education

Abstract

The status of the formal instruction in ethics in dental education was addressed by means of a survey of dental schools and a content analysis of dental ethics literature. Although three‐fourths of the respondents indicated at least a minimal level of commitment to teaching ethics, there was no agreement about what is being taught under the guise of ethics. This article focuses on the following significant questions about instruction in ethics: Should ethics be taught in the dental curriculum? Should ethics instruction be required? Who should teach dental ethics? What should be content and method of instruction in dental ethics?

Barriers to provision of dental care in long‐term care facilities: the confrontation with ageing and death

“…Bryant et al 23 described the malaise of dentists caused by compromises in the dental state‐of‐the‐art procedures in case of a reduced general health status. Further therapy concepts might be conflicting or the real benefit to patient remains unclear 23–26 . A proposed coping strategy for this conflict is to accept that some decisions might be wrong and that no therapy is sometimes the best choice for the patients.…”

A ética no ensino superior na área da saúde: uma revisão integrativa

“…Bioeticistas de vários países, incluindo-se Canadá, Chile, Japão e Estados Unidos da América (EUA), concordam que, atualmente, a educação bioética não atende às necessidades das sociedades em seus países 4,7-9 . Embora a educação bioética não possa superar todas as irregularidades que venham a ocorrer na clínica e nas pesquisas envolvendo seres humanos, os programas de graduação devem valorizá-la de tal maneira que gere um impacto positivo na formação científica dos alunos [30][31][32] .…”

Ethical issues encountered by dentists in the care of institutionalized elders

“…There is, of course, no ethical dilemma if all duties point to only one morally correct choice (Odom 1982). The other type of ethical problem in health care may result when there are unclear facts that make it difficult to apply pertinent principles.…”