Owning the tooth: exploring the ethical and legal issues relating to the use of extracted human teeth in dental education in Australia

Extracted human teeth have been used to practice operative techniques for a very long time. As a natural surrogate for a live tooth in vivo, their use has traditionally been very important for the development of skills in trainee dentists, as well as their qualified colleagues who wish to practise e...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Australian dental journal 2017-06, Vol.62 (2), p.146-151
Main Authors: Holden, ACL, Dracopoulos, SA
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Artificial teeth
Australia
consent
dental education
Dentistry
Dentists
Education, Dental - ethics
Education, Dental - legislation & jurisprudence
extracted teeth
Human Tissue Act
Humans
Tooth
Tooth Extraction - ethics
Tooth, Artificial
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Extracted human teeth have been used to practice operative techniques for a very long time. As a natural surrogate for a live tooth in vivo, their use has traditionally been very important for the development of skills in trainee dentists, as well as their qualified colleagues who wish to practise existing or new skills. As synthetic alternatives develop greater authenticity, alongside a society in which many retain their natural dentition well into old age, the current paradigm relating to how extracted teeth in dental education are used needs to be revisited. An ethical and legal dilemma that must be addressed within dental education relates to where and how teeth may be sourced. This article will seek to question whether there is a legal or ethical requirement to gain consent for the use of extracted teeth from patients, as well as exploring the status of whether extracted dental tissue can be considered to be the property of either patient or surgeon. Whilst synthetic alternatives are being utilized more frequently in education, it is unlikely that they will completely replace extracted natural teeth in the immediate future. It is therefore imperative that their use complies with legal doctrine and contemporary ethical thought.
ISSN:0045-0421
1834-7819
DOI:10.1111/adj.12493