Ethical Dilemma of Patient-Dentist Relations - Essay Example

Ethical Dilemma – Patient/Dentist Relations The patient/dentist relations center on the premise of having a formal linkage, which essentially comes into play when the patient is being treated by the dentist. This relationship cannot exceed from the working quarters and the heart of the linkage must remain within the dentist’s clinic. Anything which asks of the patient/dentist relations to exceed the already accepted norms within the society is a manifestation above logic and legality. Similarly, patient/dentist dating is something that does not stand as a very accepted procedure within any society, culture or region of the world. The ethical dilemma arises when the patient is seducing the dentist on a regular basis, so much so that the dentist becomes irritated by the constant harassment. The patient needs to realize that the dentist has to remain loyal with his meticulous dealings and he cannot go into a zone which asks of him to show behaviors which are unbecoming of a dentist. The medical ethics do not allow for the very same as well (Lerner, 2000). There are strict procedures in place as per the medical domains with regards to the following of ethical boundaries and regions. Considering the situation at hand where a woman patient is constantly seducing a young male dentist, one can only deduce from the event that the woman is doing something that is unacceptable and she must limit her behavior in line with ethics and morality. She cannot openly seduce the young dentist since he does not appreciate the kind of harassment that is being done upon his personality and that too on a very constant basis. The situation of patient/dentist dating stems from the fact that the patient is trying her best to date this young dentist but since the dentist knows of the medical ethics and the way his profession is basically carried about, he is justified in exclaiming that he is being taken the wrong way by the patient. The patient has forgotten that it is very immoral to ask the dentist to come to her place and basically have a dating scenario revolve around him. It has put the dentist in a difficult position since he is unable to understand how such a situation has arisen in the first place. Also if he rejects treating this patient in the future, it will go against the medical ethics and hence he would be doing another wrong here. Thus the situation under which this dentist is in a fix is not of his own making (McDowell, 1991). He was just doing his job diligently when all of a sudden this patient started to seduce her. It made the dentist feel pretty bad about the whole situation which has developed at the clinic. Since the patient was trying her best to get acquainted with the young male dentist, it was becoming difficult all the while for him to get away from her. She was insistent on talking about her family and the different norms of her life. She was pretty open and direct with this dentist thereby putting the dentist in a difficult position all the same. She candidly stated about her life which one should believe was uncalled for because firstly the dentist was younger than her and secondly, he was merely a dentist and not a psychiatrist to whom she could open up in such an easy fashion. The patient/dentist dating scenario looms large in such a situation since the patient told him about her son and her daughter as well as called him time and again to her place to have dinner with her. The stakeholders within this ethical dilemma comprise of the patient, the dentist, the people present at the clinic, etc. These stakeholders would have to bear the brunt in the case of a dating scenario which could happen if the dentist listens to her patient and starts dating her. These stakeholders would find it difficult to understand the anomalies which would exist within such a relationship. Since the dentist is younger than the patient who is a mother of a son and a daughter, this relationship looks all the more sinister in the truest sense of the word (Feudtner, 1994). The ethical principles and codes need to be followed here by both the patient as well as the dentist. This is important because these ethical codes and principles will manifest a straight patient/dentist relationship and nothing else. Elements like dating, love linkages and so on would not linger large in the face of the patient/dentist relationship if both know their limits and strictly follow the very same. However these ethical principles and codes could easily be broken if both the patient as well as the dentist agree to having a dating relationship, a scenario which would not go down well with the medical ethics and principles as outlined in the procedures of treating patients on the part of the dentist himself. The best way to avoid such a situation to arise within a patient/dentist relationship is to keep everyone on board. Perhaps it is about time that the dentist becomes vocal about the patient’s undertakings. The seduction must end so that normalcy could prevail. The constant invitations to dinner at the patient’s place might be considered a very common thing, as per the Middle Eastern culture, but it should not, in any way hinder the normal working domains of the dentist as well as keep in check with his medical principles and codes which need to be followed to the hilt. The alternatives to avoid such a scenario could be in terms of asking the patient to cut down on her conversation with the on-duty dentist so that he could concentrate on his job well. Perhaps having another dentist nearby when this young dentist is treating her could also avoid such a dating scenario to crop up (Mackay, 1992). However this wholly and solely depends upon the dentist as to how he would like to tackle this situation and what exactly are his beliefs in line with his ethical codes and principles, and his personal likes and dislikes. His morals are very important to comprehend in such a scenario where a patient is constantly forcing her to dine with her at her place. In the end, keeping in perspective the ethical dilemma the dentist is facing at the hands of the patient, it would be sound to suggest that this problem could be solved amicably if the dentist is resolute in his stance to keep away the seduction part of his profession. He needs to be firm and should concentrate on getting his task done whenever this patient comes up to her. He should show her that he means business and that he would not succumb to the seduction techniques which she is trying her best to make use of (Otte, 1999). If this dentist feels that the things are getting out of hand, it would be appropriate for him to consult a senior dentist or another doctor so that this problem could be solved in a forceful way. The dentist should do something quick before it becomes a real problem for him. He needs to put down his foot and let his work do the talking. The patient should be told what she is there at the clinic for and hence she must get her work done and leave immediately. It is a given here that the stance should be firm on the part of the dentist since constant talking and regular invitations would not help the cause of anyone, all said and done. Works Cited Feudtner, Chris. Making the Rounds: The Ethical Development of Medical Students in the Context of Clinical Rotations. The Hastings Center Report, Vol. 24, 1994 Lerner, Michael J. The Doctors Dilemma. Whole Earth, Summer 2000 Mackay, Elise. What Creates the Dilemma in Ethical Dilemmas? Examples from Psychological Practice. Ethics & Behavior, Vol. 2, 1992 McDowell, Banks. Ethical Conduct and the Professionals Dilemma: Choosing between Service and Success. Quorum Books, 1991 Otte, Kimberly K. Ethical Challenges in Managed Care: A Casebook. Georgetown University Press, 1999 Word Count: 1,264 Read More