13 January 2023

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Ethical principles, posting on social media platforms

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In an article published in the Journal of the American Dental Association on Dec. 23, 2022, Drs. Meredith Bailey and Alex Mellion remind readers that as dentists, clinicians represent their profession even when they are not practicing in offices. 

The authors said that dentists must remember to follow the American Dental Association's Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct 1 when participating on social media platforms. 

Social media is an important tool that allows for instant communication to a large audience and platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn have become pervasive in our society.

With increased and widespread use of social media for various purposes, the authors said they have received ethical questions from dental professionals about social media posting. Although many questions about social media use have no definitive solution and are situational, the article offers guidance on some of the ADA members' most frequently asked questions as they relate to the ADA Code.

Read the entire article at: https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(22)00682-1/fulltext

See also: 

What are the ethical considerations of using video social media platforms such as TikTok in your dental practice?

The #ethics behind social media influencers in dentistry