The Journal of the American College of Dentists
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Narrative medicine seeks to improve clinical effectiveness through narrative training in reading and writing. Stories give meaning to experience and encourage communication between doctors and patients by honoring the basic human need to recognize and be recognized. Learning how to receive and tell stories, practiced through close reading, group discussion, and written response, may also facilitate ethical reflection and inquiry.
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Individuals lacking access to dentists may use hospital emergency departments (EDs) or physicians (MDs) for the management of their dental problems. This study examined visits by minority and low-income individuals to physicians and hospital emergency departments for the treatment of dental problems with the goal of exploring the nature of treatment provided and patient satisfaction with the care received. ⋯ Poor/minority individuals seek relief from oral pain through MDs/ EDs while recognizing that such care is not definitive.
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The Vancouver Convention is renowned among editors who publish dental and related research. It is the standard for what content goes in the Methods section, how tables and figures are to be laid out, and how references are to be cited, among many other particulars. Almost no biomedical research journals follow the Vancouver Convention in every detail; virtually all come very close. ⋯ In 2000, the Board of Regents of the American College of Dentists and the officers of the American Association of Dental Editors approved a joint Code of Ethics for Dental Editors. The code is based on the Vancouver Convention, but also addresses journal content beyond reports of research findings. The joint ACD-AADE code can be accessed at http://acd.org/ codefordentaleditors.htm.
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Nitrous oxide (N2O) has become a routine intervention in contemporary American dental practice, especially in the management of children. However, routines translate to confidence which in turn may lead to overconfidence, such that possible risks and misuses are insufficiently acknowledged. This article ethically evaluates the use of nitrous oxide as a practice routine in treating children. ⋯ Finally, the importance of respecting patient autonomy is discussed, specifically the need to obtain explicit consent for N2O. The article supports the continued use of nitrous oxide but advises greater attention to how and why it is administered. Four recommendations are offered for an ethically sound usage.