Journal of the American College of Dentists

Students’ Views on Ethics
Low self-esteem
combined with a groupthink
mentality is the
pathology, and straight,
white teeth cannot
solve this psychological
problem.
forces that create the desire for any type
of smile—the blackening of teeth, putting
jewels on teeth, whitening of teeth,
straight or crooked—the profession as a
whole needs to re-define its view of
service to communities as “health care
professionals concerned with long term
health gain and not short term opportunistic
and temporary beauticians
who prey on the vanities and insecurities
of vulnerable patients” (Burke &
Kelleher, 2009).
Conclusion
People have changed the appearance
of their teeth for thousands of years in
order to demonstrate or obtain certain
cultural values, and that urge is here to
stay. My straight, white smile will always
reveal my American identity. Clean,
healthy teeth and gums are good for
people, and dental care can result in
enhanced positive feelings. But purely
esthetic procedures need to be called
exactly what they are and be clearly
recognized as cultural extensions, not
advancements in oral health care. It is
our mission as dentists to treat and
prevent diseases of the mouth. We as
a profession need to emphasize and
promote oral health and not esthetics in
how we practice and promote dentistry
to the public. Dentists are too highly
educated and trained to consume their
time with the “Hollywood Smile” when
thousands in our population are without
dental care and have active oral diseases.
All in all, as a profession, dentists need
to be clear and cognizant about their
goals to improve oral health and try to
keep the consumerism that drives the
rest of America out of their treatments.
■
References
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Christensen, G. J. (2000). Elective vs.
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Guisti, L. & Peltier, B. (2008). Commerce
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Jerrold, L., & Karkhanehchi, H. (2000).
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You bet it is! Journal of Esthetic and
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2011 Volume 78, Number 4