A dentist promotes themselves as a specialist in a field they did not complete training in. This violates which principle?

Correct answer: C. Veracity

• A. Beneficence is about acting for patient benefit — specialty misrepresentation primarily violates truthfulness.
• B. Autonomy respects patient decision-making — patient decisions based on false credentials are undermined by dishonesty, but the primary violation is of veracity.
• C. Correct. Claiming a specialty that was not completed is a direct violation of veracity (honesty/truthfulness), one of the fundamental principles of dental ethics.
• D. Justice involves fair treatment and distribution of dental care — misrepresentation of credentials is not primarily a justice issue.