ABSTRACT
Over the last 30 years there have been significant changes in the ethical underpinnings of the relationship between dentist and patient. This chapter uses a broad-brush approach to convey how the ethical landscape of the clinical relationship has altered. For the clinical relationship theory to be valid it must address one of the central problems of the relationship, namely the power imbalance which exists between the dentist and the patient. In healthcare the traditionally dominant group of ethical theories was consequentialism. This group of theories, of which utilitarianism is the most well-known example, maintains that the results or consequences of actions are what matter. The key to successful implementation of the interactive model depends upon the development of a range of the effective communication skills by the dentist, in order to facilitate the process of information transfer from the patient to dentist and vice versa.
