 This video is presented with the intent of further developing your understanding and application of ethical principles, legal obligations, and the relationship between healthcare professionals and their patients. Watch as we present a scenario involving a challenging dental care situation. It is after office hours on a Saturday afternoon. Dr. Nate Ralston is visiting a skilled nursing facility in his town in accordance with his membership in a local community service organization. He is being shown around the facility by the director, Daniel Adams. Nate, I'm so happy that your service club is looking into my care center as a possible place for all the good work that you all do. Well, we thought there might be some ways that we could offer to help improve the situation here. We're always looking for new places to help out. That's great. That's great. This is the day room. This is where the patients do most of their visiting. It's also a place for them to relax outside of their rooms. Is that Dr. Ralston I see over there? Hey, Doc, remember me? Of course, Dave, how are you? I didn't know you were living here. I didn't notice you stopped coming to the office. I've been here about six months or so. I like it just fine. They treat us real nice here. Where are the dentures I made for you? Don't they fit you right anymore? I can't seem to find them. I'm not sure what I did with them. I haven't had them for three or four weeks now. It makes it kind of hard to eat anything. I can't afford new ones. I don't know what I'm going to do. That's terrible, Dave. Can't be going around without your teeth. Later, over coffee, Dr. Ralston and Daniel talk about Nate's visit. I'm sure you've got others here with dental problems. Yeah, I'm afraid it isn't just David. Well, we did have a young dentist who came in to see our people pretty consistently for a while. But she said how the stage reimbursement rates were unrealistically low and how there was no good way to shuttle in all the people who needed care to her office. So these folks get no dental care at all? We do have students coming in from the community college hygiene program. They come in about once a year to instruct the residents and staff on proper hygiene care. Good folks. The patients love the attention. The staff is so overwhelmed with their duties. I think several of them resent the students coming in telling them how they should do things. I don't blame the local dentists or physicians for not volunteering. I know several of them have been on mission trips to Haiti. Well, what do you suppose Dr. Ralston might do? You may pause the video here and consider his options, or you may continue on to the next section. Here are some possibilities that may have occurred to you. Perhaps it would be beneficial to rate each possibility as, absolutely, you are entirely in agreement. Probably, you think it is a good idea. 50-50, you are not sure. Doubtful, you don't think it is a good idea. Or no way, you entirely disagree. You may pause the video after each possible solution to consider the implications of each option. Should Dr. Ralston do nothing? Because society and insurance companies have indicated their priorities through funding. Do nothing since a little well-intended help can be interpreted as interference and makes little lasting or significant difference. Work to establish a program that involves all of the local dentists in care. Volunteer one day a month at the facility, no matter what. Now let us rate the importance of each of these contributing factors as you weigh what is important in your considerations. Rate each one as decisive, important, not clear, little importance, or irrelevant. These contributing factors are as follows. The reputation of the profession in the community. The patient's oral needs. Each health care provider community and funder should function as it sees best. Many dental practitioners face ethical dilemmas such as this one on any given day. Anticipating how you might deliberate to find a suitable resolution to any such dilemma is good preparation and can aid each practitioner to find their way out of the challenging questions they might sometimes face.