Is dentistry facing an ethical dilemma? And, boys may get HPV vaccine too

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Scandals, lawsuits, a growing emphasis on self-promotion, and dental practitioners who prescribe excessive treatments are tarnishing dentistry's image, according to a presentation on ethics at the ADA annual session. Even dental schools are seeing an increase in cheating on exams. What can the profession do to change public perceptions? Click here to read more.

In a related story, patients who seek cosmetic dentistry are often looking for that perfect smile, but some dentists may compromise sound enamel and dentin to give patients unnecessary porcelain crowns and veneers -- a practice one dentist calls "porcelain pornography." Read more in this latest Cosmetics Community feature.

Meanwhile, over in the Oral Cancer & Diagnostics Community, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee is recommending that 11- and 12-year-old boys be routinely vaccinated to protect them from human papillomavirus, which has been linked to the development of oral and other cancers. Read more.

And proper nutrition and calorie intake are essential for head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy and chemotherapy, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Click here to read what dental practitioners can do to help prevent and treat the oral complications that often result from these treatments.