A dentist refuses to treat a patient solely because the patient has an infectious disease (e.g., HIV or Hepatitis B). Which ethical principle is most directly violated?

The principle of JUSTICE requires that dental care be provided equitably and fairly without discrimination based on a patient's medical condition, race, gender, religion, or socioeconomic status. Refusing to treat a patient solely because of an infectious disease constitutes discrimination and violates justice. The ADA Principles of Ethics explicitly state that dentists have a duty to provide care to all patients using appropriate infection control. BENEFICENCE = doing good; NON-MALEFICENCE = avoiding harm; AUTONOMY = respecting patient decision-making; JUSTICE = fair, equitable, non-discriminatory treatment. This is a classic board question: when a provider refuses care based on patient status without clinical justification, JUSTICE is the violated principle.