Ethics & Law · patient case question
In Scenario 1, which two ethical principles are in tension?
Patient case: Ethics and Occupational Exposure
demo: Multiple scenarios in one practice day
chief: Ethical and occupational issues arising during clinic
history: Scenario 1: a patient in pain demands extraction of two restorable teeth; the dentist believes root canal therapy is the better option. Scenario 2: a different patient with a periapical lesion refuses the recommended extraction. Scenario 3: an HIV-positive patient presents with a parulis on the buccal gingiva of #29. Scenario 4: the dentist sustains a needlestick from a used anesthetic needle.
meds: Not applicable
findings: See individual scenarios.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Autonomy and beneficence
- A. Confidentiality is not in question in this scenario.
- B. Correct. The patient's right to direct their own care (autonomy) conflicts with the dentist's obligation to act in the patient's best interest (beneficence) by preserving restorable teeth.
- C. Veracity concerns truthfulness and justice concerns fair distribution of care; neither is at issue here.
- D. Nonmaleficence — doing no harm — is relevant in the background but the named conflict is autonomy versus beneficence.