Ethical Dilemma Essay

What Dr. Schneider is doing by putting crowns on teeth that could be treated with two surface amalgams is unethical. It is obvious that she is doing this to increase revenues during a downturn in her financial condition related to her divorce. Two surface amalgams have a long history for use for fillings for decayed areas of teeth and for general repairs of chipped or cracked teeth. Although its use is declining in the U. S. it remains the first choice for posterior direct restorations. (1) Other bonding techniques are now being employed by dentists in lieu of two surface amalgams that are gaining in popularity for esthetic reasons and because they use no toxic metals such as mercury. To crown a tooth requires a dentist to grind away all of the enamel of the tooth so a crown can be put on the remaining dentine layer of the tooth. This procedure is six to seven times more expensive than two surface amalgams or other bonding techniques to repair teeth. A general rule in dentistry is that you preserve as much enamel on a tooth as possible. So Dr. Schneider is not only performing a procedure that is unnecessary and expensive but is detrimental to the patient because a tooth’s enamel is being destroyed needlessly. Sharon should discuss this with Dr. Schneider and tell her that this improper, unethical and not in the best interests of the patient. If Dr. Schneider persists in this unethical practice then Sharon should threaten to resign and report Dr. Schneider to the American Dental Association and appropriate state licensing agents. (1) http://www. bethesda. med. navy. mil/careers/postgraduate_dental_school/comprehensive_dentistry/Pearls/Pearlsc6. htm