The special ethics of dentistry

Abstract

This chapter considers how the issues and the wider system of dentistry have shaped dentistry&s;s distinct ethical environment. The increase in corporate groups offering dental services would seem to fit with patients becoming &s;consumers&s; of healthcare. Certainly, when the doctor–patient relationship is consumerist, it emphasises the autonomy of a patient beyond all else. Whilst enforcement of rule and regulation may not be the best way to foster the moral engagement of individual practitioners, there are also tangible economic concerns. Resources spent on regulatory compliance could be spent on patient care, and distributive justice is compromised when disproportionate attention is paid to regulatory obedience. Dentistry acts as a case study for the importance of good regulation. Regulatory costs have multiplied tenfold since the 1990s, exacerbating the problems faced by dentists in balancing patient care and business. Tight regulation that protects the individual can thus have broader implications for the quality and accessibility of care that is given to the population.