Abstract
The standard ethical arguments that prescribe dentistry's involvement in improving access to oral health care are based on the ethical principle of social justice. The authors underwrite this principle but argue that, as with other ethical principles, this principle alone will fail to have a practical impact. The authors show that the issue of access is a symptom of a more systemic problem in dentistry, namely the lack of connectedness that dentists feel between themselves and their profession, their community, and society at large. The second half of the article develops a plan for boosting "connectedness." Successful implementation should help resolve many of the systemic problems that dentistry currently faces, including the issue of disparities in oral health.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 421-433 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Dental Clinics of North America |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2009 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Dentistry(all)
Cite this
The Dilemma of Access to Care : Symptom of a Systemic Condition. / Rule, James T.; Welie, Jos V. M.
In: Dental Clinics of North America, Vol. 53, No. 3, 07.2009, p. 421-433.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The Dilemma of Access to Care
T2 - Symptom of a Systemic Condition
AU - Rule, James T.
AU - Welie, Jos V. M.
PY - 2009/7
Y1 - 2009/7
N2 - The standard ethical arguments that prescribe dentistry's involvement in improving access to oral health care are based on the ethical principle of social justice. The authors underwrite this principle but argue that, as with other ethical principles, this principle alone will fail to have a practical impact. The authors show that the issue of access is a symptom of a more systemic problem in dentistry, namely the lack of connectedness that dentists feel between themselves and their profession, their community, and society at large. The second half of the article develops a plan for boosting "connectedness." Successful implementation should help resolve many of the systemic problems that dentistry currently faces, including the issue of disparities in oral health.
AB - The standard ethical arguments that prescribe dentistry's involvement in improving access to oral health care are based on the ethical principle of social justice. The authors underwrite this principle but argue that, as with other ethical principles, this principle alone will fail to have a practical impact. The authors show that the issue of access is a symptom of a more systemic problem in dentistry, namely the lack of connectedness that dentists feel between themselves and their profession, their community, and society at large. The second half of the article develops a plan for boosting "connectedness." Successful implementation should help resolve many of the systemic problems that dentistry currently faces, including the issue of disparities in oral health.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=65849369399&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cden.2009.03.008
DO - 10.1016/j.cden.2009.03.008
M3 - Review article
C2 - 19482120
AN - SCOPUS:65849369399
VL - 53
SP - 421
EP - 433
JO - Dental Clinics of North America
JF - Dental Clinics of North America
SN - 0011-8532
IS - 3
ER -