•  
  •  
 

Abstract

Dentistry’s evolution as a profession reflects both scientific progress and enduring tensions between commercial and service-oriented models of care. Despite long-standing commitments to ethical education, dental training continues to privilege technical mastery over professional identity formation, leaving some future practitioners underprepared for the ethical and relational complexities of clinical practice. This paper situates these challenges within the historical separation of dentistry and medicine and argues that integrating the health humanities into dental education can strengthen professional identity formation and clinical ethics competency. Using a case study, we demonstrate how biases, professional obligations, and patient trust intersect in practice. We introduce the Personal, Professional, Practice (PPP) framework as a pedagogical tool that links self-knowledge, historical understanding of professional ethics, and case-based application. The PPP framework employs methods from the humanities, such as visual analysis, narrative reflection, and arts-based discussion, to help learners identify epistemic influences, engage in productive dialogue, and navigate ethical ambiguity. Through this integrated approach, learners develop the moral imagination and communicative skills necessary for equitable, patient-centered care. We conclude that health humanities methods support not only ethical discernment but also the formation of dental professionals who embody the values of service, respect, and trust at the core of the profession’s social contract.

Download

Share

COinS