THE DENTIST'S RESPONSIBILITY
The American Dental Association Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct,24 Section 3, Principle of Beneficence (“do good”), states in part that “[t]his principle expresses the concept that professionals have a duty to act for the benefit of others. Under this principle, the dentist's primary obligation is service to the patient and the public-at-large.” Section 3.E, Abuse and Neglect, states that “[d]entists shall be obliged to become familiar with the signs of abuse and neglect and to report suspected cases to the proper authorities, consistent with state laws.”24