Biomedical subjects
Larry Jenson
Publications and source records attributed to Larry Jenson.
Restoration and enhancement: is cosmetic dentistry ethical?
The ethical ground for restoration (returning a patient to healthy form and function) differs from enhancement (using medical means to improve appearance). Physicians and dentists who argue that enhancements improve self-esteem must reconcile this claim with the fact that they are not licensed to practice psychology. The extreme views are that doctors either should provide cosmetic services as requested by patients or they should not. The middle position is that doctors must retain their fiduciary position of trust based on professional judgment and advocating for patients' health interests. Patient health always outweighs patients' cosmetic desires.
My way or the highway: do dental patients really have autonomy?
Ethical dilemmas arise when it is not possible to simultaneously optimize conflicting values, each of which independently is worthy. This paper analyzes three cases where patients' autonomy is in conflict with dentists' professional judgments about their own practice patterns and what is in the best interests of patients' oral health. The hierarchy of values proposed by Ozar and Sokol is a valuable aid in addressing such dilemmas, but the dentist must still engage in a detailed analysis of the situation.