Dental Ethics

Course overview

This course is grounded in the American Dental Association's (ADA) Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct, which serves as the ethical standard for dental professionals in the United States. The ADA Code provides a comprehensive framework consisting of three interconnected components: The Principles of Ethics - aspirational goals that articulate the profession's fundamental values The Code of Professional Conduct - specific standards of behavior that are required or prohibited Advisory Opinions - interpretations that apply the Code to specific situations Throughout this course, we will explore five fundamental ethical principles that underpin the ADA Code: patient autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and veracity. These principles often work in harmony, but they can also compete for priority in complex clinical situations. Learning to recognize these tensions and navigate them thoughtfully is central to ethical practice.