What ethical difference does an apostrophe make? Balancing the interests of patients and dental professionals

Abstract

Dental professionals are obliged to put the interests of patients first. This is certainly laudable but it is unclear how far this duty extends. A further concern is whether it relates to the interests of a practitioner's own patients or to patients in general. The particular placement of an apostrophe in the General Dental Council's guidance is ambiguous. Dental professionals also have their own interests and might well ask if those interests should always be superseded. Every dental professional has a responsibility to put patient interests first as part of their professional registration; understanding this duty is therefore vital. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited.