Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Advice
  • Published:

Has it always been this difficult to be professional?

BDJ In Practice volume 36, pages 30–32 (2023)Cite this article

The practise of dentistry requires a willing patient to allow a dental surgeon to place a drill (and what looks to the patient like pliers and clamps) in their mouth. The patient is placing their trust in their dentist. That's a lot of trust.

  • The professional behaviour of the dentist influences the overall expectations of the patient seeking treatment

  • Any attempt to quantify 'professionalism' is highly subjective and does not easily lend itself to a binary choice between behaviour that is professional and that which is unprofessional

  • Views on what constitutes professional behaviour change over time

  • By embedding an acceptable model of Professionalism into the dental curriculum, dentists can maintain the trust of their patients and ensure that the treatment provided, is always in their patients' best interests.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. General Dental Council. Standards for the Dental Team. Available online at: www.gdc-uk.org/standards-guidance/standards-and-guidance/standards-for-the-dental-team (accessed September 2023).

  2. General Dental Council. Annual Report and Accounts 2018. Available online at: www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/annual-reports/annual-report-and-accounts-2018-final.pdf?sfvrsn=7b0e96c3_4, (accessed September 2023).

  3. General Dental Council. Insights from GDC fitness to practise concerns. 2019. Available online at: www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/fitness-to-practise-learning/2-gdc-ftp-insights-closed-cases.pdf?sfvrsn=213f06fe_2 (accessed September 2023).

  4. General Dental Council. Professionalism: A mixed-methods research study. 2020. Available online at: www.gdc-uk.org/about-us/what-we-do/research/our-research-library/detail/report/professionalism-a-mixed-methods-research-study (accessed September 2023).

  5. BBC. News release: Warning over medical clinics using fake Google reviews. 2 August. Available online at: www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66329833 (accessed September 2023).

  6. MailOnline. News release: Why you shouldn't rely on Google to choose a dentist: Private medical clinics across Britain are boosting their profiles with fake online reviews, investigation reveals. 2 August. Available online at: www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12365459/Why-shouldnt-rely-Google-choose-dentist-Private-medical-clinics-Britain-boosting-profiles-fake-online-reviews-investigation-reveals.html (accessed September 2023).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Honour Health, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom

    Onkar Dhanoya

Authors
  1. Onkar Dhanoya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Onkar Dhanoya.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dhanoya, O. Has it always been this difficult to be professional?. BDJ In Pract 36, 30–32 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-023-2146-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-023-2146-z

Search

Advanced search

Quick links