PERSPECTIVES ON DIGITAL DENTISTRY

digital_dentistryesra_kulkapak

ETHICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS OF DIGITAL DENTISTRY

Zeynep Öztürk

Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty Dentistry, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Bolu, Türkiye

Öztürk z. Ethical and legal Aspects of Digital Dentistry. In: Kul E, editor. Perspectives on Digital Dentistry. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2025. p.247257.

ABSTRACT

Digital dentistry has become an integral part of dentistry today. The integration of this technology into practical applications should be addressed not only in terms of its advantages and predictability but also in terms of its ethical and legal challenges. The effective and sustainable implementation of digital dentistry requires a shared responsibility between manufacturers, regulatory bodies, dentists, and pa tients. Especially for disadvantaged communities, digital technologies can promote justice and social equality by increasing access to oral and dental health services. However, full compliance with ethical principles and legal regulations is of great importance in this process.

Rapid technological advances experienced in recent years have provided significant convenience in dentistry practice and increased the predictability of treatment processes. However, these develop ments have created new and important areas of responsibility for practitioners. The conscious use of digital systems in line with professional experience, ethical principles, and applicable legal regulations is of critical importance for patient safety and protection of professional standards. In this context, a balanced approach should be adopted in the integration of digital technologies into clinical practice, and the professional autonomy of dentists and their ethical and legal obligations should be observed.

legal requirements regarding the protection of personal data, security of medical records, and patient rights should be meticulously addressed in digital dentistry. In particular, when patient data is shared with dental laboratories and colleagues in other fields of expertise, confidentiality principles should be adhered to, and patients should be assured to consciously consent to these processes. Dentists are obliged to ensure the protection of patient privacy and must fully comply with the applicable legal regulations in this regard.

Despite their advantages, digital technologies should only be considered supporting tools in clinical practice. They should not replace the professional experience and clinical decisionmaking processes of physicians; on the contrary, they should be considered auxiliary elements that guide these processes. Treatment decisions based entirely on digital systems can lead to inadequate clinical results and put patient health at risk.

Successful continuation of digital dentistry practice requires a conscious blending of the professional knowledge and ethical responsibilities of physicians with the opportunities offered by digital tech nologies. The ultimate legal responsibility in patient care always belongs to dentists, and acting with this awareness is indispensable for the protection of patient safety and professional ethical principles.

Keywords: Digital technology; Ethics; Ethics, dental; legistration & jurisprudence; Physicianpatient relations

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