Ethics & Law · single question
A general dentist tells a patient they are a SPECIALIST in oral surgery. Which ethical principle is MOST violated?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Veracity (truthfulness — making a false claim about qualifications is a lie)
- A. Justice relates to equitable care distribution — not the primary principle here.
- B. Beneficence (acting in the patient's best interest) is not specifically violated by a false claim of specialty — though the consequence might be harm.
- C. Autonomy involves the patient's right to decide — this is a prerequisite breach: the patient cannot make an autonomous decision without truthful information.
- D. Correct. VERACITY means truthfulness and honesty — the obligation to tell the truth to patients. Claiming to be a specialist when one is not constitutes deliberate misrepresentation of qualifications, directly violating veracity. This could also constitute fraud and violates ADA dental ethics code. Patients rely on truthful information to make informed decisions about who treats them.