Codigo de odontologia

Code of Ethics in Dentistry This Code of Ethics is a set of principles of professional conduct to which dentists must aspire to fulfil their duties to their patients, to the public, to the profession, and to their colleagues. A dentist's foremost responsibility is to the patient. Dentistry is a profession, in part, because the decisions of its members involve moral choices. Every dentalpractitioner makes decisions that involve choices between conflicting values while providing care for patients. Life and Health: The primary concern is the life and general health of the patient. Appropriate and Pain Free Oral Function: The specific nature of dental health for each individual patient depends on variables including the patient's age, general health, underlying anatomy, and compliance withoral hygiene. Patient Autonomy: The patient has the right to choose, on the basis of adequate information, from alternate treatment plans that meet professional standards of care. The treatment plan chosen by the patient may or may not be that which the dentist would prefer. Practice Preferences: Dentists vary in the range of services performed and the method of delivery of those services. Adentist's individual preference in the delivery of dental care plays an important role in treatment recommendations and decisions. This preference should be acknowledged by the patient. Aesthetic Values: Oral and facial appearance is important to the self image of the patient and an important consideration of dental practice. Cost: Dentistry often offers treatment choices with a range of costs.Appropriate treatment alternatives are to be presented each with its associated costs and benefits. Under certain circumstances, a lower ranked value may justifiably be chosen over the next higher. These circumstances will depend upon the clinical situation that may arise. Other external factors may be present but rarely be of such ethical significance as to outweigh the prioritized values, particularlythe higher values. Responsibilities to Patients Article 1: Service As a primary health care provider, a dentist's first responsibility is to the patient. As such, the competent and timely delivery of quality care within the bounds of clinical circumstances presented by the patient, shall be the most important aspect of that responsibility. Article 2: Competency The privilege of dentists to beaccorded professional status rests primarily in the knowledge, skill, and experience with which they serve their patients and society. All dentists, therefore, must keep their knowledge of dentistry up to date, and must provide treatment in accordance with currently accepted professional standards. A practitioner should inform the dental licensing authority when a serious injury, dependency, infectionor any other
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condition has either immediately affected, or may affect over time, his or her ability to practice safely and competently. Article 3: Consultation and Referral Dentists shall provide treatment only when qualified by training or experience; otherwise a consultation and/or referral to an appropriate practitioner is warranted. Article 4: Emergencies A dental emergency exists ifprofessional judgement determines that a person needs immediate attention to relieve pain, or to control infection or bleeding. Dentists have an obligation to consult and to provide treatment in a dental emergency, or if they are unavailable, to make alternative arrangements. Article 5: Provision of Duties A dentist shall remember the duty of service to the patient and therefore is responsible toprovide for care to all members of society. A dentist shall not exclude, as patients, members of society on the basis of discrimination which may be contrary to applicable human rights legislation. Other than in an emergency situation, a dentist has the right to refuse to accept an individual as a patient on the basis of personal conflict or time constraint. Article 6: Delegation of Duties...