Dr. H.E. (Gene) Thompson was a clinical instructor during my orthodontic residency in 1975-77. He provided a particularly important lecture to the class one day, sharing elements about the management of different types of clinical problems we might encounter. He became agitated when a classmate asked the same question for the third time, “How much do you charge for that, Dr. Thompson?” His response came quickly and with irritation. “Look, just take good care of your patients and the money will take care of itself!”
Admittedly, this might seem to be an oversimplification. Management of the practice of dentistry certainly must include scrutiny of financial matters. But of equal importance is adherence to our Principles of Ethics and Codes of Professional Conduct for the profession. They are critical to ensure a successful dental practice. Placing monetary gain above the principles of Patient Autonomy (patient self-governance to choose between treatment options), Nonmaleficence (do no harm), Justice (treat people fairly), Beneficence (do good), and Veracity (truthfulness) may lead to multiple problems – including legal entanglements and/or a tarnished reputation within the community.
Dr. Thompson, as well as many other instructors during my six years at UMKC, instilled both clinical and ethical skills, for which I am most grateful, that brought 40 years of financially rewarding practice void of any legal entanglements.