Legal & Ethical Concepts in Dentistry

Training Aim

This course aims to develop and improve professional knowledge, understanding and competence with respect to key legal and ethical concepts within dentistry that can have an impact on everyday practice life.

Training Objectives

• Able to identify the key ethical principles relevant to dentistry and healthcare and understand how these principles can be applied in typical ethical dilemmas a practitioner may face.
• Understand the relationship between ethics and the law with respect to informed consent.
• Recognise how to identify whether patients have the capacity and competence to consent.
• Understand the concept of confidentiality in line with professional and legal obligations.
• Able to identify the key issues within a selection of case studies and relate these to the concepts learned.

GDC Development Outcome

A - Effective communication with patients, the dental team and others across dentistry, including when obtaining consent, dealing with complaints, and raising concerns when patients are at risk.

D – Maintenance of skills, behaviours and attitudes which maintain patient confidence in you and the dental profession and put patients’ interests first.