Ms J who presents to the office for a routine continuing care appointment is excited about information she has just read on the Internet about a new device for interdental biofilm removal
Ms. J, who presents to the office for a routine continuing care appointment, is excited about information she has just read on the Internet about a new device for interdental biofilm removal. She begins to ask Glenda, the dental hygienist, detailed questions about the product such as whether it really works, where it can be purchased, and how much it costs. Glenda is unfamiliar with the aid but does not want to be embarrassed in front of the patient so she tells Ms. J the product does not work and spends an extra 5 minutes at the end of the appointment reviewing manual flossing techniques.
Which of the dental hygiene core values (Table II-I, Section II Introduction, page 44) have application in this scenario? Consider, also, the ethical duty for lifelong learning.
From the patient’s perspective, what is the role of the dental hygienist in this situation? Consider the roles of dental hygiene in Chapter 1.
Is it unethical to mislead the patient about a product when the value is unknown or the dental hygienist prefers the benefits of another (perhaps rival) product? Why or why not?
