Is it better to be good  or to do good?

People have contemplated what it entails to be good and to do good. Philosophers propose that being good is an idea about yourself or others, while doing good is an action, towards yourself or others. Other theorists feel that those who want to ‘be good’ actually want to ‘be seen as good’, while those who strive to ‘do good’ are more concerned with following some calling or moral character. If we consider the dental situation, it raises the question of whether the motivation to do good should reign over the practical delivery of good dental treatment. This brings up many new considerations related to being good and doing good, and whether we are looking at good in terms of the practical performance of the clinical work or in terms of addressing the patient’s best interests and welfare. This paper will explore some of the interesting dilemmas that clinicians may face in their daily practices. It aims to raise their awareness of the differences between patients’ demands, actual needs, as well as their own philosophy towards treatment provision.

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The influence of examination frequency and changing dentist on dental treatment provision in an Australian defence force population

BDJ ◽

10.1038/sj.bdj.4808012 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 173 (7) ◽

pp. 237-241 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

A S Dawson ◽

R J Smales

Keyword(s):

Dental Treatment ◽

Treatment Provision ◽

Australian Defence Force

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Professional moral character of physicians and clinical working environment

Læknablaðið ◽

10.17992/lbl.2021.12.666 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 107 (12) ◽

pp. 590-596

Author(s):

Svanur Sigurbjörnsson ◽

◽

Vilhjálmur Árnason ◽

Keyword(s):

Moral Character ◽

Clinical Work ◽

Well Being ◽

Work Conditions ◽

Professional Autonomy ◽

Working Environment ◽

Work Related ◽

Comparison Results ◽

General Physicians ◽

First Time

INTRODUCTION. A survey of the experience of Icelandic medical candidates, general physicians, and specialty physicians of clinical work, aimed to show how the working environment affects doctors’ moral character and experience of support, well-being and expectations. For comparison, results of a British survey with the same questions for specialty physicians were used. MATERIAL AND METHODS. A total of 89 physicians answered 15 questions. Statistical comparison was made between results from topical clusters of questions. RESULTS. The results show a significant problem in work conditions of Icelandic doctors. Their experience is rated low in the second quarter (2,1 – 3,0) on a numerical scale of how the environment thwarts professional character and of lack of support. In comparison with British specialists, their experience is similar but slighly better regarding supportiveness. Icelandic candidates and general physicians experience significantly more stress, less support and autonomy in their work than specialists. Compared to the British, the experience of Icelandic specialists was more positive about professional autonomy and emotional attachment to the work. Our survey shows for the first time the effect of the working environment on professional virtues of Icelandic doctors. DISCUSSION. These findings resonate with the literature that the moral character of doctors contributes to satisfaction, flourishing and experience of meaningfulness. They substantiate views raised by Icelandic physicians about tremendous work stress and scarcity of staff. The survey demonstrates the doctors‘ experience of work-related challenges and provides reasons for society to improve their working conditions to enable them to live up to their ideals.

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Analysis of a Payments Database Reveals Trends in Dental Treatment Provision

Journal of Dental Research ◽

10.1177/0022034513484327 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 92 (7_suppl) ◽

pp. S63-S69 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

H. Guiney ◽

P. Felicia ◽

H. Whelton ◽

N. Woods

Keyword(s):

Dental Treatment ◽

Treatment Provision

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The moral character of clinicians or the best interests of patients?

BMJ ◽

10.1136/bmj.318.7196.1432 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 318 (7196) ◽

pp. 1432-1433 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

L. Doyal

Keyword(s):

Moral Character ◽

Best Interests

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Epidemiological Investigation of OHCWs with COVID-19

Journal of Dental Research ◽

10.1177/0022034520962087 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 99 (13) ◽

pp. 1444-1452

Author(s):

L. Meng ◽

B. Ma ◽

Y. Cheng ◽

Z. Bian

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Dental Treatment ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Clinical Work ◽

Study Data ◽

Dental Practice ◽

Care Workers ◽

Dental Practitioners ◽

Epidemiological Characteristics

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there is an important risk of infection in health care workers, including oral health care workers (OHCWs), due to the characteristics of dental practice. In this retrospective study, data pertaining to the 31 OHCWs diagnosed with COVID-19 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, were retrieved and analyzed. Questionnaires were administered to the subjects over the Internet and telephone. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and information on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) were collected. There were 22 females and 9 males, with a median age of 39 y. Although the severity of most cases of COVID-19 (93.5%) was mild or moderate, 1 case was severe, and another case was critical, resulting in death. Fever was the main first symptom of COVID-19, followed by fatigue and myalgia. Most of the OHCWs routinely used PPE such as medical masks, gloves, caps, and work clothes while performing clinical work. N95 or KN95 masks were rarely available because of the scarcity of PPE during the outbreak. Nineteen OHCWs reported a contact history, among whom 7 worked in a fever clinic, 5 reported contact with dental patients suspected of having COVID-19, and 7 reported contact with family members with COVID-19–related symptoms at least 1 d earlier. Our findings indicated that there were few clusters of COVID-19 in dental settings. Since the outbreak, the Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, has provided emergency dental treatment, and none of their staff were infected while providing dental service, which indicates that comprehensive measures such as the use of advanced PPE and environmental disinfection can prevent cross-infection in dental practice. The analysis of the procedures followed during the emergency treatments indicated that OHCWs preferred to recommend conservative treatment to patients, suggesting that attention should be paid to the psychological impact of COVID-19 on dental practitioners.

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Spiritual Healing, Sick Kids and the Law: Inequities in the American Healthcare System

American Journal of Law & Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0098858800002847 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 29 (2-3) ◽

pp. 269-299

Author(s):

Janna C. Merrick

Keyword(s):

Medical Science ◽

Spiritual Healing ◽

Best Interests ◽

Legal Rights ◽

High Tech ◽

Divine Love ◽

Religious Minority ◽

Human Need ◽

East End ◽

The Church

Main Street in Sarasota, Florida. A high-tech medical arts building rises from the east end, the county's historic three-story courthouse is two blocks to the west and sandwiched in between is the First Church of Christ, Scientist. A verse inscribed on the wall behind the pulpit of the church reads: “Divine Love Always Has Met and Always Will Meet Every Human Need.” This is the church where William and Christine Hermanson worshipped. It is just a few steps away from the courthouse where they were convicted of child abuse and third-degree murder for failing to provide conventional medical care for their seven-year-old daughter.This Article is about the intersection of “divine love” and “the best interests of the child.” It is about a pluralistic society where the dominant culture reveres medical science, but where a religious minority shuns and perhaps fears that same medical science. It is also about the struggle among different religious interests to define the legal rights of the citizenry.

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Differentiating between different forms of moral obligations

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x19002589 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

Author(s):

Rajen A. Anderson ◽

Benjamin C. Ruisch ◽

David A. Pizarro

Keyword(s):

Moral Character ◽

Moral Obligations ◽

Different Types

Abstract We argue that Tomasello's account overlooks important psychological distinctions between how humans judge different types of moral obligations, such as prescriptive obligations (i.e., what one should do) and proscriptive obligations (i.e., what one should not do). Specifically, evaluating these different types of obligations rests on different psychological inputs and has distinct downstream consequences for judgments of moral character.

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