THE ETHICAL DUTIES OF THE PRACTITIONER IN DENTAL MEDICINE – THE COUNCIL OF THE ORDER OF DENTISTS
PLAN :
I-GENERALITY
II-THE CODE OF MEDICAL ETHICS
III- COUNCIL OF THE ORDER OF DENTAL SURGEONS
IV- THE RULES OF MEDICAL ETHICS
V- SANCTIONS PROVIDED FOR IN THE CODE OF ETHICS
VI-THE ETHICAL DUTIES OF THE DENTAL SURGEON.
I-GENERAL INFORMATION:
Deontology comes from the Greek “deontos” which designates rules, duties and obligations.
Ethics serves as a reference, a guide for health professionals in their daily practice in the service of patients. It is the codification of the rules of conduct imposed on members of the medical profession.
Failure to comply with it constitutes a transgression of moral standards and exposes one to sanctions.
Medical ethics is therefore defined as the set of principles, rules and practices that a doctor or medical student must respect when practicing the medical profession.
- For this, there is a code of medical ethics which specifies:
*The duties of the dental surgeon towards his colleagues.
*Relationships and duties towards members of other health professions.
*The duties of the dentist towards patients and society.
II-THE CODE OF MEDICAL ETHICS
- The foundations of medical ethics are codified in a text of decrees arranged in a coherent manner and classified into titles and chapters: The code of medical ethics.
- It is part of the official regulations, it is a legal text whose provisions are binding on any dental surgeon registered with the order who must swear to respect it and any failure to comply with these provisions is the responsibility of the disciplinary bodies of the order council.
- The code of ethics takes up the traditional principles of medical practice, rules that have remained valid since the Hippocratic oath.
- It affirms the rights of patients, the vocation of the dental surgeon: dedication, respect for the dignity of patients and so many principles which constitute the duties of the dental surgeon.
- The medical code of ethics is drawn up by an authority representing the medical professions: the medical council, which is responsible for drawing up the ethical rules which it will subsequently submit to the state council for assessment.
- It appeared in Executive Decree No. 276 of 06/07/1992 and includes 226 articles spread over 05 titles.
THE ETHICAL DUTIES OF THE DENTAL PRACTITIONER
III-THE COUNCIL OF THE ORDER OF DENTAL SURGEONS
1) the national council of medical ethics:
- Headquartered in Algiers, it is made up of 12 regional councils.
- These councils are vested with disciplinary power; they rule on breaches of the rules of medical ethics and violations of health law.
- The council is composed of dental surgeons aged 35 or over, they are elected by their colleagues for 04 years.
2) the medical ethics council: may be contacted by:
- The Minister of Health;
- Members of the medical profession (doctors authorized to practice);
- Dentists and pharmacists (their legal associations);
- Associations of legally trained doctors;
- Any patient or his guardian;
The patients’ beneficiaries.
MISSIONS OF THE REGIONAL ORDINARY SECTIONS (SOR)
- On the administrative level:
she records the entry on the board.
she is consulted on requests for the installation and transfer of medical practices.
Practitioners must, compulsorily, pay their contributions annually to the SOR
- In disciplinary matters:
exercises disciplinary jurisdiction in the first instance .
– therefore the essential mission of the council of the order is above all disciplinary: Any dental surgeon can be brought before the council of the order on the occasion of faults committed in the exercise of his functions.
– The exercise of disciplinary action does not preclude legal action.
IV/ THE RULES OF MEDICAL ETHICS :
1) General duties: Art 6 to 41
- The dentist is at the service of the individual;
- The dentist is at the service of public health;
- The dentist must practice with respect for life and the human person.
2) Professional secrecy: Articles 36 to 41
- Professional secrecy applies to all dentists, except when the law provides otherwise.
- It covers everything that the dentist saw, heard, understood or was entrusted with in the exercise of his profession.
- The dentist must ensure that the clinical records and documents he holds concerning patients are protected against any indiscretion.
- In the case of scientific publications, care must be taken to ensure that identification of the patient is not possible.
- Medical confidentiality is not abolished by the death of the patient except to assert one’s rights.
3) Duties towards the sick: Articles 43 and 44
- The patient is free to choose his dental surgeon;
- The patient is free to leave his dentist; it is a free choice.
4) Brotherhood: Art 44 to 51
- This is a primary duty, it must be exercised in the interest of the patient and the medical profession.
5)Relationship with other members of the profession: Art 52 to 61
- They must be courteous and caring towards health care workers. Each must respect the independence of the other.
6)Special rules for certain modes of exercise:
In the private sector; Control medicine; Expert medicine
V/ SANCTIONS PROVIDED FOR IN THE CODE OF ETHICS:
=> The council hearing a complaint must rule within 4 months.
=> The disciplinary sanctions are:
- The warning;
- The blame;
- The proposal to ban practicing;
- The closure of the establishment.
=> The sanctions are subject to appeal or recourse to the national council of medical ethics, within a period of 06 months.
THE ETHICAL DUTIES OF THE DENTAL PRACTITIONER
VI-THE ETHICAL DUTIES OF THE DENTAL SURGEON
-It is the duty of every dental surgeon to respect and defend his profession ; he must refrain, even outside his profession, from any act likely to bring it into disrepute.
PRINCIPLE OF IMPARTIALITY:
The dentist is at the service of the public. He must show the same dedication to all patients, regardless of their social status, nationality, religion, ideology, sex, race, etc.
DUTY TO ASSIST PERSONS IN DANGER:
-Whatever his function or specialty, the dental surgeon must, within the limits of his knowledge, provide assistance to a patient in immediate danger.
Any dental surgeon who finds himself in the presence of a sick or injured person in danger or who is informed that a sick or injured person is in danger must provide assistance to him or ensure that he receives the necessary care.
ART 9 of the CDM “The dental surgeon must provide assistance to a patient in immediate danger or ensure that he receives the necessary care”
This offence results from indifference to the fate of others since the failure to provide assistance results from a deliberate abstention in the face of the danger to which others have been exposed.
DUTY OF PERFORMANCE:
-The dentist has the right and the duty to maintain and improve his knowledge.
OBLIGATION TO RESPECT PROFESSIONAL SECRECY:
Professional secrecy covers everything that the dental surgeon has seen, heard, understood or has been transmitted to him in the exercise of his profession.
– Professional secrecy is required of all dental surgeons; it is an essential ethical foundation in relation to the duty of humanism to which the dental surgeon is bound, that of preserving and respecting the dignity and privacy of the patient.
PRINCIPLE OF FREE CHOICE:
-The dentist must respect the right of every person to freely choose their dentist .
Likewise, the dentist should never impose a therapy that the patient does not want.
It implies the patient’s right to contact the healthcare professional of their choice and guarantees a fundamental principle of the caregiver-patient relationship: TRUST
PROVIDING QUALITY CARE:
The care provided to the patient must be conscientious, dedicated, and based on new scientific data; as such, the patient must develop his diagnosis with the greatest care, devoting the necessary time to it and using the most appropriate scientific methods.
INFORMATION AND CONSENT OF THE PATIENT
The concept of information and obtaining the patient’s consent, known as “informed consent”, is of capital importance from an ethical point of view. It is the practical translation of respect for the person and the principle of free choice.
The dentist provides the person he is examining or treating with fair, i.e. honest and appropriate, information about their state of health and the care he is offering them, and this throughout the illness. He must take into account the patient’s personality in his explanations and ensure that they are understood.
Consent must be free, without pressure or influence, and informed, that is to say preceded by sufficient information.
THE ETHICAL DUTIES OF THE DENTAL PRACTITIONER
Wisdom teeth may need to be extracted if they are too small.
Sealing the grooves protects children’s molars from cavities.
Bad breath can be linked to dental or gum problems.
Bad breath can be linked to dental or gum problems.
Dental veneers improve the appearance of stained or damaged teeth.
Regular scaling prevents the build-up of plaque.
Sensitive teeth can be treated with specific toothpastes.
Early consultation helps detect dental problems in time.