Introduction

The professions of dentistry and dental hygiene each have a discipline-specific code of ethics. These codes describe the goals, aspirations and subsequent ethical standards of each group. The purposes of these professional codes of ethics are to bind the members of the group together, define expected standards of behavior and as a tool for self-regulation of its members. Codes are a touchstone by which all members of a profession can judge the acceptable parameters of behavior. More importantly, the code is the contract that the profession as a whole makes with society outlining the standards it will strive to uphold.