Ethics Corner
Code of Ethics
Dental hygienists work in interprofessional collaborative environments. They are accountable to codes of
ethics, in conjunction with professional standards, workplace policies, and laws and regulations that guide
practices and behaviours. In achieving
these requirements, they fulfill their contract with society to meet a high standard of ethical practice.
Read the
report
describing the development of the Code of Ethics.
The CDHA Code
of Ethics sets out the ethical principles and responsibilities which apply to all members of the
dental hygiene profession across all
practice areas including clinical care, education, research, administration and any other role related to
the profession of dental hygiene.
In addition, the Ethical
Guidelines for Educators helps educators to make professional decisions. It is grounded in 6
ethical principles and
provides a framework of shared values.
Oh Canada! Talking Ethics
Oh Canada! is our membership-based publication that provides a forum for the
communication of dental hygiene and oral health information, as well as product information and association
news. Each issue contains a "Talking
Ethics" column where members share common ethical dilemmas encountered during dental hygiene practice.
Authors offer insight and share experiences about how to approach these complex cases. Read the articles by
selecting the year below:
Select a Year:
Do you have any personal biases against the recreational
or medicinal use of cannabis that would interfere with
your professional responsibilities? Our life experiences
and worldview inform our opinions and create bias. Yet,
as regulated oral health care professionals, our obligation
is to provide relevant, objective information from credible
sources when communicating with clients, groups, and
communities. We must always seek out appropriate,
professional resources to acquire new knowledge and
enhance our health promotion efforts.
Part 2 is a complement to Part 1: Ethical Responsibilities
of Online Instructors, which was published in the Summer
2018 issue (pages 45–46). It must be emphasized that
ethical responsibilities are intertwined and each affects the
other in an online learning environment: the classroom,
the educational institution, the instructor, and the student.
For example, in Part 1 various aspects of privacy breaches,
confidentiality, access, and cultural sensitivity were
discussed. All parties are affected and all parties are
part of the solution.
The intent of this contribution is to discuss briefly, and by
no means fully, the ethical responsibilities of instructors
and students in the online education classroom context.
Part 1 introduces the ethical obligations of instructors
teaching online; Part 2 in the Fall/Winter issue will explore
the same subject as it pertains to online students.
During our dental hygiene studies we were meticulous about assessing the submandibular,
submental, and occipital lymph nodes. We palpated on either side of the sternocleidomastoid
muscle and felt the differences to the temporalis and
masseter muscles, and we assessed the temporomandibular joints while asking the client to
open and close.
There are many questions that the dental hygienist should consider when exposing clients to
radiation. When a radiograph is prescribed, the dental hygienist must understand why the
radiograph is necessary, how many radiographs are
required, how much exposure to radiation the client will receive, and if the client has
received radiation exposure recently from other medical procedures.
On August 5, 2016, the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act was amended to include
the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulation (SOR/2016- 230) (ACMPR).1 The
process documented in the ACMPR is more transparent, and
patients are now able to legally obtain, use, and carry cannabis for medical purposes after
registering with Health Canada.
Dental hygienists play a vital role in protecting and promoting the health of individuals,
communities, and populations. As regulated health professionals practisingin variety of
settings, dental hygienists encounter ethical challenges
when faced with situations requiring a balance of opposing values, beliefs, and
obligations.
We accept that, as self-regulated professionals, dental hygienists are obligated to provide
for the well-being of their clients and society as a whole. Using the Process of Care model
(Figure 1) in this situation is a systematic way
to determine your next step.
The Dental Hygienists’ Code of Ethics states that a dental hygienist’s primary
responsibility is “to the client.” Furthermore, dental hygienists are bound to conduct
themselves in accordance with applicable laws and guidelines, and
are mandated to report non-compliance that they may witness.
Oral cancer changes a person’s life. The impact of an oral cancer diagnosis on the
individual, their family, friends, and community is significant. Yet cancer survival rates
are improving, thanks to early detection, improved access
to care, and recent enhancements in treatment protocols.1 Dental hygienists, as primary
care providers or practitioners in health care, provide dental hygiene care according to
our regulatory body, scope of practice, and code of
ethics.
The term “social media” (also known as Web 2.0) describes Internet-based technologies that
allow users to interact and collaborate with others online. These applications include
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. With this interactivity,
social media is viewed as the interface of new technology and social communication to
create (or co-create) new knowledge.1 Social media is a wonderful tool for the
dissemination of health information, as well as for engaging professionals
to connect, communicate, and share resources in various platforms.
As health care providers we have a duty to ensure that we are giving our clients the best
possible advice based on the best possible evidence. Yet what is our role when an emerging
trend gains rapid popularity in the absence of sufficient
high-quality evidence of safety and long-term consequences?
As health care providers we have a duty to ensure that we are giving our clients the best
possible advice based on the best possible evidence. Yet what is our role when an emerging
trend gains rapid popularity in the absence of sufficient
high-quality evidence of safety and long-term consequences?
Family violence is an important issue that affects many Canadians across the country.
According to the Government of Canada’s February 20th media release announcing $100 million
in funding to support victims of violence and their children
Dental supplies are regulated products under the Food and Drugs Act and Medical Devices
Regulations. When a company wishes to sell products from a specific manufacturer, and the
manufacturer will not authorize them to sell those products,
the company will often obtain the products through other means and sell them anyway. The
marketplace for such unauthorized products is commonly referred to as the “grey market.”
We have all noticed advertisements offering free teeth whitening to new clients. It seems
harmless enough and a tempting inducement to attract new clients. However, such incentives
may not be ethically sound or adhere to your college
regulatory guidelines with respect to advertising.
As the number of dental hygienists practising independently grows across Canada, dental
hygienists may believe that they must offer “something special” to attract clients.
Unfortunately, some dental hygienists inadvertently undertake
inappropriate advertising activities, which are in conflict with the principles outlined in
the Dental Hygienists’ Code of Ethics and may result in an investigation from dental
hygiene regulatory bodies
One of your close friends is having difficulty completing her continuing competency
requirements for her regulatory college. The deadline to submit proof of completion of
professional development activities is looming. Your friend
knows that you have successfully completed an online course that she is currently enrolled
in but does not have the time to complete on her own. She asks you to sign into the exam
under her ID and complete the exam for her. She
promises to learn all of the material once her life circumstances change.
The public expects their health care professionals to collaborate and put their interests
first. For more than fifty years, Canadian dental hygienists have provided ethical care to
their clients within a cooperative team-oriented framework.
With the evolution of the profession and recognition by provincial governments to legislate
self-regulation, dental hygienists are obligated to accept more responsibilities on behalf
of the public.
CDHA’s Dental Hygienists’ Code of Ethics, revised June 2012 is the cornerstone of dental
hygienists’ commitment to ethics. It sets down ethical principles and responsibilities for
the dental hygiene profession. It also helps define
accepted behaviours, promotes high standards of practice, provides a benchmark for members
to use in self evaluation, and establishes a framework for professional behaviour and
responsibilities. All CDHA members are required to
understand and comply with the code and follow its guidelines in their practice.
I once made a conscious thought to keep track of how many times I lied in one day. I
included those times when I stretched the truth, and told what is commonly called “white
lies”. The number was staggering.
In 2002, CDHA developed a Code of Ethics that serves as a foundation for ethical practice
in dental hygiene. This document sets down the ethical principles and ethical practice
standards of the dental hygiene profession. Clients, colleagues,
and the public expect dental hygienists to be guided by, and to be accountable under, the
principles articulated in this Code. Although the primary users of the Code of Ethics are
CDHA members who are employed in a variety of practice
settings, some dental hygiene regulatory authorities and provincial associations adopt the
CDHA Code of Ethics as their provincial Code of Ethics. Dental hygienists are accountable
to other codes of ethics/ethical guidelines including
those of their provincial regulatory authority and their work place.