Chapter 01: Ethics and Professionalism
Beemsterboer: Ethics and Law in Dental Hygiene, 3rd Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. When was the inception of the profession of dental hygiene?
a. In ancient Greece
b. In the early 1800s
c. In the early 1900s
d. In 1979
ANS: C
The scope of practice of a dental hygienist was first established by law in Connecticut in
1915. Alfred C. Fones taught his dental assistant, Irene Newman, to treat patients and to teach
them to maintain their mouths in a clean state. In 1913, Fones established the first school for
dental hygienists in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The first oath written for dental hygienists called
upon Apollo and Hygeia, who were the Greek god and goddess of health, respectively. A
modernized version of the first oath was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the American
Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) in 1979.
DIF: Recall REF: p. 3 OBJ: 1
TOP: 7.0 Professional Responsibility | 7.1 Ethical Principles, including informed consent
2. Which member of the dental team is the primary oral preventive therapist?
a. Dentist
b. Dental hygienist
c. Dental assistant
d. Receptionist
ANS: B
The dental hygienist is the oral preventive therapist in the dental office. The dentists who
pioneered this special field of endeavor had a vision of the day when dental disease could be
prevented by following a system of treatment and cleanliness. The dentist is primarily
concerned with restorative treatment, although he or she also shares in preventing oral disease.
The dental assistant assists the dentist and may assist the dental hygienist as well. The
receptionist greets patients and may help with the business and financial aspects of the
practice.
DIF: Recall REF: p. 4 OBJ: 1
TOP: 7.0 Professional Responsibility | 7.4 General
3. The dental hygiene oath is revised by action of which of the following professional
organizations?
a. The American Dental Association (ADA)
b. The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA)
c. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
d. The Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP)
e. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
ANS: B
, The first dental hygiene oath was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the American Dental
Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) in 1979 and is still in use today. The oath may be seen at the
following website (www.adha.org/aboutadha/dhoath.htm). The American Dental Association
has an oath for dentists. A copy of each oath may be found in the textbook.
DIF: Recall REF: p. 3 OBJ: 1
TOP: 7.0 Professional Responsibility | 7.4 General
4. Society recognizes that health care providers are held to a higher standard than legislative
mandate. These higher standards are expressed in professional codes of ethics and are
enforced by the legal system.
a. Both statements are true.
b. Both statements are false.
c. The first statement is true, the second statement is false.
d. The first statement is false, the second statement is true.
ANS: C
Health care providers are held to a higher standard than can be expressed exclusively by
legislative mandate. While it is true that these higher standards are expressed in professional
codes of ethics, they are enforced by those within the profession rather than by the legal
system. Important components of this enforcement include self-regulation and submission to
peer review.
DIF: Comprehension REF: p. 4 OBJ: 1
TOP: 7.0 Professional Responsibility | 7.4 General
5. Success is measured by financial gain in the corporate world; however, for the health care
professional the patient’s welfare is placed above profit.
a. Both the statement and reason are correct and related.
b. Both the statement and reason are correct but NOT related.
c. The statement is correct, but the reason is NOT.
d. The statement is NOT correct, but the reason is correct.
e. NEITHER the statement NOR the reason is correct.
ANS: A
Because the welfare of the patient is more important than profit, society has granted the health
care professional a certain status that carries prestige, power, and the right to apply special
knowledge and skills.
DIF: Comprehension REF: p. 4 OBJ: 2
TOP: 7.0 Professional Responsibility | 7.4 General
6. Which of the following is regarded as the most important aspect of the delivery of health care
services?
a. Technical skill
b. Appropriate knowledge
c. Critical judgment
d. Caring
ANS: D
, Although all of the choices are important, caring is regarded as the most important. Patients
perceive this essence of caring and respond to it. Trust is the critical foundation for the
relationship between the person seeking services and the health care provider. The caring that
the patient seeks also gives the provider the greatest opportunity for professional service and
satisfaction.
DIF: Recall REF: p. 4 OBJ: 2
TOP: 7.0 Professional Responsibility | 7.4 General
7. The publication “Medical Professionalism in the New Millennium: A Physician Charter” set
out three fundamental principles, including patient welfare, patient autonomy, and the
principle of social justice, because it is thought this will reinvigorate the value of
professionalism.
a. Both the statement and reason are correct and related.
b. Both the statement and reason are correct but NOT related.
c. The statement is correct, but the reason is NOT.
d. The statement is NOT correct, but the reason is correct.
e. NEITHER the statement NOR the reason is correct.
ANS: A
The Physician Charter sets out three fundamental principles that are not new but reinforce the
foundation of the medical profession as one of service to others. The ethical principles of the
primacy of patient welfare (beneficence and nonmaleficence) and patient autonomy are listed
first; the principle of social justice is the third main tenet. The desired goal was to reinvigorate
the value of professionalism that includes social responsibility, the ethic of care, and access to
that care, for all members of society.
DIF: Comprehension REF: p. 5 OBJ: 3
TOP: 7.0 Professional Responsibility | 7.4 General
8. Each of the following is a requirement for licensure of a dental hygienist in the United States
EXCEPT one. Which one is the EXCEPTION?
a.Completion of a higher education accredited program
b.Graduation from a college or university
c.Passed a written national board examination
d.Passed a clinical national board examination
ANS: D
There is no clinical national board examination. The dental hygiene candidate for licensure
must pass a state or regional clinical examination. Examples of regional boards include the
Council of Interstate Testing Agencies (CITA), the Central Regional Dental Testing Services,
Inc. (CRDTS), the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA), the Southern
Regional Testing Agency, Inc. (SRTA), and the Western Regional Examining Board (WERB).
DIF: Comprehension REF: p. 5 OBJ: 3
TOP: 7.0 Professional Responsibility | 7.4 General
9. Which of the following characteristics is used to separate the professional from the layperson?
a. Competency
b. Quality performance
c. A specialized body of knowledge and skill of value to society
, d. A code of ethics
ANS: C
To be considered a profession, a specific field or area of study traditionally must have several
characteristics. These include a specialized body of knowledge and skill of value to society, an
intensive academic course of study, set standards of practice determined and regulated by the
group, external recognition by society, a code of ethics, an organized association, and a
service ethic. What separates the professional from the layperson is specialized knowledge,
which is exclusive to the professional group.
DIF: Recall REF: p. 5 OBJ: 3
TOP: 7.0 Professional Responsibility | 7.4 General
10. Each of the following is considered to be a true profession EXCEPT one. Which one is the
EXCEPTION?
a.Law
b.Medicine
c.Dentistry
d.Culinary chef
e.Ministry
ANS: D
Because being a professional is desirable, many careers and occupations aspire to this level.
Real estate agents, auto mechanics, and culinary chefs all use the term professional to indicate
a desired level of competency and quality performance. However, the true professions are still
considered to be medicine, dentistry, ministry, and law because they possess all the
characteristics previously listed, including a specialized body of knowledge and skill of value
to society, an intensive academic course of study, set standards of practice determined and
regulated by the group, external recognition by society, a code of ethics, an organized
association, and a service ethic.
DIF: Recall REF: p. 6 OBJ: 3
TOP: 7.0 Professional Responsibility | 7.4 General
11. Professionalism is demonstrated through a foundation of clinical competence, communication
skills, and ethical and legal understanding. Upon this foundation is built the aspiration to and
wise application of the principles of professionalism.
a. Both statements are true.
b. Both statements are false.
c. The first statement is true, the second statement is false.
d. The first statement is false, the second statement is true.
ANS: A
The principles of professionalism are excellence, humanism, accountability, and altruism.
Highlights of the Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice include assessment, dental
hygiene diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation, and documentation. Professional
traits of the dental hygienist include honesty and integrity, caring and compassion, reliability
and responsibility, maturity and self-analysis, loyalty, interpersonal communication, respect
for others, and respect for self.
DIF: Recall REF: p. 6 OBJ: 3
