Ethical Practice in Dentistry

Introduction

The ethical practice in dentistry is referred to the moral obligations and duties present in the dentists towards their professional colleagues, patients and to society. It is important as it assists to support self-determination and autonomy, promote the welfare of people and protecting vulnerable individuals from experiencing hindered care. In this study, the ethical principles and context regarding caring for a patient of a colleague are to be mentioned.

Case Study Discussion

The first principle of the GDC guidance mentions that dentist is to work by putting the intertest of the patient at first for any care condition (GDC, 2018). This informs that it is the ethical duty of the current dentist to arrange care for the delegated patient as the individual is suffering from pain due to pulpitis. The section 7 of principle 1 of GCD guidance mentions that prompt and appropriate actions are to be taken for the patients in the clinical environment who are detected to be at risk of health consequences (dentalprotection.org, 2019). Thus, it is the ethical duty to take immediate actions in managing the pulpitis of the patient without causing further delay as seen to be taken by the dentist by providing temporary treatment. This is because the individual’s existing teeth are mentioned to the carious and additional presence of pulpitis create risk of pain along with loss of teeth (Holden, 2018).

The principle 2 of GDC guidance mentions that effective communication with the patients is to be made regarding health issues so that they understand the shared information without any doubt. Moreover, clear explanation of possible treatment available for their condition and the outcome of the treatment is to be informed in clarified manner to the patients (GDC, 2018). In this context, the ethical responsibility for the patient is that effective information regarding the consequence and occurrence of carious teeth is to be explained in the language they understand. Moreover, the explanation is to be provided regarding the existing treatment available to them to help the patient have clarified knowledge of the care context which they inform to lack while receiving care from your colleagues. The principle 9 of the GDC guidance mentions it is responsibility of the dentist to execute actions at work as well as personal life that justifies the trust of the patients in them and trust of the public in dental profession (GDC, 2018). Thus, the ethical obligation of the current dentist is to ensure that effective treatment and information understood by the patient are provided to them so that they can retain their trust towards the profession and dentists to be able to offer them effective care.

One of the key interpersonal skill in dentistry is communication skill which is important for the dentist. This is because effective ability to make communication by the dentist assist the patients to clearly understand their care procedure and necessities of care which helps them to take better informed decision regarding own care (Caltabiano et al., 2018). As argued by Errante et al. (2018), the presence of hindered interpersonal skill in dentists leads to create increased complaints from the patients. This is because the patients experience lack of understanding of the basic needs and features of care to provide decision. Thus, in this case, the presence of communication as good interpersonal skills in the dentist would help the patient delegated for care overcome being puzzled regarding the care procedure as previously complained by them. This is because effective communication by the current dentist would help in clarifying the doubts raised and explain in better manner the required information of care that was not done previously.

The presence of good interpersonal skills of communication and listening in the current case would improve the professional standard of care for the patient. This is because such skill makes the patients feel valued in the care as their responses are considered in care (Nf and Asma, 2018). In the current case study, good interpersonal skill is going to help to improve the self-confidence of the dentist in performing actions with enhanced competence by overcoming problems at work. This is because good interpersonal skill of problem-solving helps the dentist to determine the action to be performed to resolve any impending issues to ensure smooth care (Lee, 2019). Thus. with this aspect, the dentist would be effective to understand the way complaints of the delegated patients are to be dealt with so that it does not create further issues in delivering care to them.

The principle 5 of GDC guidance mentions that all the patients, as well as staffs and dentists, are to be aware regarding the complaint procedure and have knowledge of the way it works (GDC, 2018). This indicates that it is the duty of the dentist treating the delegated patients to ensure they understand the way to complaints regarding their concerns and the way it is to be processed to offer them remedy. The principle 5 of GDC guidance also mentions that it is duty and responsibility of the dental professionals to ensure complaints are professionally and properly managed. It is their duty to respond to any complaint within time limit by offering a constrictive response (GDC, 2018). Thus, in this case, it is the duty of the dental professional that the complaints regarding lack of understanding of care made by the patients is managed professionally and response for it is provided within the time limit.

In dental practice, the value of complaint is that it helps the professional responsible for the raised issue realise the consequence of their actions made for the patients. It provides them opportunity to know the negative actions made which they might have not realised to have performed in the care due to carelessness (Ambarwati et al., 2018). Thus, the complaints in dental practice lead the dentist realise where they have executed work during working and the way it has impacted the patient. As argued by Oberai (2020), the value of complain in dental practice is that it leads the patients who have complained receive proper explanation regarding the cause of the raised issue and have justice by ensuring acting on the complaint. It leads to improve the overall care condition for the patients and makes them feel valued.

The value of complaints is that it helps the healthcare organisation identify the gaps in their working by the professionals and develop strategic actions to resolve them so that negative name in the industry can be avoided (Mohammed and Diab, 2019). The lack of any complaints against the wrong deeds in the care environment, the gaps in care remain unrecognised which in the long-term create adverse healthcare delivery situation that negatively affects the name of the organisation due to delivery of poor care services (Cummings, 2021). Thus, value of complaint in dental profession is that it helps the healthcare organisation involved in the industry for delivering dental services realise their gaps and resolve them in timely manner to ensure effective patient satisfaction of care.

The case study informs that there is gap of effective communication between the dental colleague and the patient which has made the patient complaint that they are puzzled by the necessities of work even through effective treatment was mentioned to be complete. In this condition, to manage the issue effective information regarding the dental work is to be provided to the patient to improve their understanding of the procedure and perform smooth completion of work which their previously reported to get puzzled. Moreover, the colleague is to be informed regarding the compliant posed by the patient so that the individual can provide data regarding the cause of the hindrance in the care process and it can be explained to the patient to make them understand the reason of the problem. In the patient, more carious teeth are seen to be present. Thus, the individual is to be informed regarding the required treatment available for the context and the reason behind the treatment to be taken immediately. This is because delay in care makes the patient suffer negative health consequences (Lee et al., 2018).

The initial resource to be required in handling the colleague and the patient is the presence of clarified communication pathway. Since the colleague is on their holiday, the patient is to be asked to wait in polite manner so that as the individual returns effective interaction between them can be made to resolve the raised issue. The other resource required is providing a complaint form to the patient where the individual can report their grievances regarding care delivered or care process to make the authorities understand way to change the existing procedure to ensure satisfactory care process for the client (Lee et al., 2018).

Conclusion

The above discussion mentions that the ethical and legal obligation of the dentist in the situation is to protect the confidentiality of the patient, support the individual in making compliant, provide effective information regarding the care procedure, alert the patients regarding their deteriorated dental health and the available treatment in the context. The good interpersonal skill in the current case is able to create enhanced patient outcome, resolve complaints, enhance patient’s care experience, ensure greater professional standard abidance and others. The GDC principles guide the way complaints in care are to be made and the value of complaint is that it assists in improvement by indicating the gaps in care and skills in the healthcare organisation and professionals.

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References

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Caltabiano, M.L., Croker, F., Page, L., Sklavos, A., Spiteri, J., Hanrahan, L. and Choi, R., 2018. Dental anxiety in patients attending a student dental clinic. BMC oral health, 18(1), pp.1-8.

Cummings, E., 2021. There is no place like dentistry. Dental Nursing, 17(12), pp.616-617.

dentalprotection.org 2019, GDC Standards for the Dental Team, Available at: https://www.dentalprotection.org/uk/articles/gdc-standards-for-the-dental-team [Accessed on: 25 December 2021]

Errante, M.R., Gill, G.S. and Rodriguez, T.E., 2018. The perceived impact of the group practice model on enhancing interpersonal skills of predoctoral dental students. Journal of healthcare leadership, 10, p.11.

GDC 2018, Standards for the Dental Team, Available at: https://standards.gdc-uk.org/[Accessed on: 25 December 2021]

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