Policy Statement 3.17 - Dentist Graduate Declaration

Position Summary

All graduating dentists in Australia should make a common ethical declaration on graduation.

1. Background

1.1 The ADA Inc. has established a Code of Ethics for Dentists, the observance of which is a mandatory condition of membership. The ADA Inc. Code of Ethics is complementary to statutory and other legal requirements.

1.2 Some universities conduct their own student declarations as part of their dental school’s graduation ceremony.

1.3 Dentists have the same professional obligations to patients as all other health practitioners.

2. Position

2.1 All graduating dentists in Australia should make an ethical declaration on graduation.

2.2 Such a declaration should be formal part of a graduation ceremony.

2.3 Dental schools should adopt a declaration certificate, for example the model certificate (Appendix) as the graduation declaration.