This document has been prepared by referencing the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), the Law on the Manner of Practice of Medicine and Related Professions (TŞSTİDK), the Patient Rights Regulation (HHY), the Medical Deontology Code (TDN), the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and the Turkish Dental Association’s Professional Ethics Rules (TDB DMEK).
1. Obligation to Protect Human Life
Dentists are responsible for protecting and maintaining human health.
2. Obligation to Act in Accordance with Professional Ethics Rules
Dentists are obligated to act in accordance with ethical rules both in fulfilling their duties arising from the patient-doctor relationship and in performing medical procedures on patients.
3. Obligation to Respect Patient Rights
A dentist has an obligation to respect the rights of their patient, primarily as a human being, and to uphold the rights stemming from the Patient Rights Convention.
4. Personal Obligation
A dentist is obligated to provide medical treatment to a patient in accordance with the rules accepted by law and medical science.
5. Obligation to Take History and Conduct Examinations
A dentist’s examination for diagnostic purposes should include information about current and past illnesses, as well as medications the patient is taking. The dentist is obligated to consider the patient’s medical history when planning treatment.
6. Obligation to Make a Diagnosis
A dentist is obligated to diagnose a patient based on the medical history taken and the physical examination performed.
7. The Responsibility to Choose Appropriate Treatment
A dentist is responsible for determining the most appropriate treatment method for a patient based on their professional knowledge and experience, the medical history they take, and the examinations and tests they perform.
8. Obligation Not to Guarantee Recovery to Patients and Their Relatives
Dentists do not provide guarantees for the medical procedures they perform.
9. Obligation to Provide Information and Obtain Consent
A dentist is obligated to inform their patient about the procedure to be performed and its potential complications, and to obtain their consent for treatment.
10. Duty of Loyalty and Care
A dentist is obligated to prioritize the patient’s interests above their own, to avoid harming the patient, and to act in accordance with professional ethics.
11. Record-Keeping Obligation
Dentists are obligated to record and store patient information.
12. Obligation to Maintain Confidentiality
A dentist is obligated to protect patient information obtained during treatment and to prevent others from accessing it.
13. Reporting Obligation
If a dentist encounters evidence of a crime during an examination, they are obligated to report the situation to the relevant authorities.
Physicians’ Rights
- The right to benefit from and utilize contemporary scientific medical resources in professional practice.
- The right to adhere to ethical principles in the practice of one’s profession.
- The right to protect professional independence and autonomy.
- The right to avoid situations that contradict one’s own values.
- The right to work in a hygienic environment and to demand protection of health.
- The right to demand an adequate income level
- Except in emergency situations, the right to refuse a patient or discontinue treatment if the trust relationship with the patient is damaged.
- The right to participate in administrative processes
- The right to request a consultation to obtain and evaluate scientific information on matters within or outside the patient’s area of expertise, for the benefit of the patient.
- The right to allocate the necessary time for the patient.
- The right to refuse to be complicit in the mistakes of colleagues.
- The right to demand personal safety.