The Journal
maintain decorum, keeping in mind the high
moral obligations and the value that society
places on the important nature of their work and
the moral character and integrity expected of
them. Dental Surgeons are expected to exhibit
integrity, honesty, fidelity and selfless service.
Monetary commitments can only be secondary
to the welfare of his patients. We would be
unethical if we are found to be indulging in
demeaning solicitation and false promises
through advertisements or direct marketing of
individuals, or advertising, whether directly or
indirectly or taking an unfair professional
advantage by cold targeting vulnerable groups
and conducting camps and other promotional
activity in schools, colleges, old age homes and
distributing handbills, claim vouchers and other
business promotional activities. Registered
charitable organizations including registered
body of Dental or Medical persons which
provide fully free dental care and treatment out
of altruism are however exempted from above.
Dentists are not supposed to be associated with
false and misleading advertisements or
publication through press reports that promise
inducements, rebates and false benefits and
are not supposed to employ any agent or
canvasser for the purpose of obtaining patients
in a manner that is commercial. They should not
use or exhibit any disproportionately large sign,
other than a sign which in its character, position,
size and wording is merely such as may
reasonably be required to indicate to persons
seeking the exact location of and entrance to
the premises at which the dental practice is
carried on and is to be affixed nowhere else.
They are not supposed to indulge in surrogate
advertisements in the garb of educating the
public through TV programs, magazines or
periodicals and that would also mean that any
public information disseminated to the public in
good faith and intention should not carry
addresses telephone numbers, e-mail
addresses etc., of the Dental Surgeon or the
clinic employing him to attract patients to their
establishment. They are not a llowed to
advertise in the electronic media, such
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as in television programs, that display names,
addresses and telephone number of dentists as
on-screen ‘scrollers’. A dentist is, however,
permitted as an ethically acceptable practice to
make a formal announcement in press on
starting practice, on change of type of practice,
on changing address, on temporary absence
from duty for a prolonged period of time, on
resumption of practice after a break a prolonged
period and/or on succeeding to another
practice. We can also give a press insert about
the availability of new equipment or services
without boastful claims of being the ‘best’ or
‘first’ especially if such services are already
available in other facilities via insertion in
Telephone directories, Yellow pages or on the
internet but will have to only serve as public
information. However, any claim to superiority
or special skills over others will be construed as
unethical practice. Maintenance of websites
about dentists or dental clinics where all
information is factual will not be construed as
unethical practice and websites can also carry
details of treatment facilities available and the
fees for the same which, in fact, helps patients
to make informed choices through a
transparent system. However, websites should
not make claims or statements that are not
factual and therefore, misleading to the public.
With above clear cut deadlines, conflicts in
advertising can be resolved in the minds of
budding practitioners who consider advertising
as an important tool to generate awareness and
knowledge amongst people but as reiterated
above, advertising by a dentist must not
misrepresent fact or give false interpretations
and should be in such a form that false
expectations of favorable results is not done.
8.Ethics vis-à-vis the informed consent
process : Consent is a misused and a
confused term in dental practice set ups. The
process of informed consent is required for
compliance with the law and the need of a
written informed consent, thus, requires a
thorough knowl edge on the part of the
practitioner, unbiased presentation of all
Vol. 14 No. 2
May-August 2018