Policy & Guidelines

Code of Conduct

Section 1. The Code of Conduct speaks very clearly about what is required of a Fellow of the American College of Dentists:

1. A Fellow shall abide by the principles of ethics of the American Dental Association or equivalent professional organization. A Fellow shall always act in a manner that brings credit to the dental profession and the American College of Dentists.

2. Fellows shall be removed of Fellowship upon being judged in violation of the Principles of Ethics of the American Dental Association or equivalent professional organization by the governing body of that organization.

3. The American College of Dentists holds that: The solicitation of patronage by false, deceptive, and misleading advertising is unacceptable and shall be grounds for removal of Fellowship or other disciplinary action (see Guidelines for Advertising by Dentists).

4. The American College of Dentists holds that it is the obligation of every Fellow to be a competent professional committed to lifelong learning. It is the responsibility of every Fellow to keep abreast of contemporary developments within the profession. It is a moral and ethical imperative that a professional responsible for the health and well-being of others discharge that responsibility to the best of their ability.

5. Fellows share an obligation to serve their profession and contribute to its progress according to their abilities and resources. These efforts may be acknowledged by honoraria.

6. Fellows have an obligation when involved in continuing education or other professional endeavors to disclose relationships with commerce, journalism, or any other entity where nondisclosure or incomplete disclosure may lead to a misrepresentation of facts.

7. Fellows shall be removed of Fellowship if convicted in civil or criminal court of an action which discredits the dental profession or the American College of Dentists, or following revocation of license by a licensing agency. Fellows may be removed of Fellowship following censure or suspension by organized dentistry or a licensing agency.

8. Fellows shall be removed of Fellowship when they do not fulfill those obligations of Fellowship as set forth in the Bylaws, Code of Conduct, or henceforth determined by the Board of Regents.

9. Fellows may use the title "Fellow, American College of Dentists," or alternatively "Fellow of the American College of Dentists," on letterhead, business cards, and in biographical summaries, provided this is done in a dignified and professional manner and is consistent with other provisions in the Code of Conduct. The title shall not be used in the direct solicitation of patients or for strictly commercial purposes. Use of Fellow, American College of Dentists or Fellow of the American College of Dentists on the Internet is permitted only in a biographical summary on a dentist's own Web site. If the title is used, it must appear on a page within the Web site that is strictly informational and not commercial in nature.

10. The title "Fellow, American College of Dentists" is conferred on all members of the College and is abbreviated F.A.C.D. It is understood that Fellowship is an honor, but it is not a degree. The conferring of Fellowship in the College may be announced to the public in accord with guidance provided by the Executive Director.

11. Fellows shall use the F.A.C.D. abbreviation in the accepted manner. The use of the F.A.C.D. abbreviation following the professional degree is limited as follows:

    1. The abbreviation may be used together with academic or professional degrees on the Title Page of textbooks.

    2. The abbreviation may be used in College registers where faculty listings are presented, together with other titles and degrees.

    3. When submitting a paper for publication in a professional, non-proprietary journal, a Fellow may inform the editorial board of Fellowship in the College and at the editor's discretion, the abbreviation may be used following the author's name.

    4. The abbreviation may be considered for use in non-commercial contexts that only involve dentists or other professional colleagues and do not involve patients. The overriding principle is that the abbreviation shall not be used in any commercial context such as advertising, solicitation of patients, or personal or professional promotion. This restriction will normally exclude the use of the abbreviation on stationery or professional cards. The abbreviation should not be used in or on office doors, office buildings, nameplates, signs, directories, announcements, appointment cards, advertisements, telephone books, or Web sites.

    5. The abbreviation may be used in educational settings where the course, seminar, or meeting is sponsored by conventional dental schools, organized dentistry, or organizations representing recognized specialties.

    6. Any contemplated use of the abbreviation shall comply with the spirit of the Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct of the American Dental Association.

    7. The abbreviation should not be used when signing a professional register except in foreign countries where such recognition is expected.

12. Sections may only use the seal of the American College of Dentists as part of official correspondence. Any other contemplated uses require the prior approval of the Executive Director. The seal may not be used by individuals other than those serving in an official capacity.

13. Pledge for Acceptance of Fellowship and affirmation of the Responsibilities of Fellowship will be required of all new Fellows.

Section 2. The Code of Conduct also speaks very clearly about what is required of an Affiliate Member of the American College of Dentists:

1. An Affiliate Member shall always act in a manner that brings credit to the dental profession and the American College of Dentists.

2. Affiliate Members shall not portray themselves as Fellows of the American College of Dentists.

3. The American College of Dentists holds that it is the obligation of every Affiliate Member to be competent and committed to lifelong learning. It is the responsibility of every Affiliate Member to keep abreast of contemporary developments relative to their profession.

4. Affiliate Members are encouraged to serve the dental profession and contribute to its progress according to their abilities and resources. These efforts may be acknowledged by honoraria.

5. Affiliate Members have an obligation when involved in continuing education or other professional endeavors to disclose relationships with commerce, journalism, or any other entity where nondisclosure or incomplete disclosure may lead to a misrepresentation of facts.

6. Affiliate Members shall be removed of membership if convicted in civil or criminal court of an action which discredits the dental profession or the American College of Dentists, or following revocation of license or similar credential by a regulatory agency. Affiliate Members may be removed of membership following censure or suspension by a professional organization or a regulatory agency.

7. Affiliate Members shall be removed of membership when they do not fulfill those obligations of membership as set forth in the Bylaws, Code of Conduct, or henceforth determined by the Board of Regents. Affiliate Members may be removed of membership if their actions discredit the dental profession or the American College of Dentists.

8. Acceptance of Section 2 of the Code of Conduct will be required of all Affiliate Members.

The preceding statements constitute the Code of Conduct of the American College of Dentists. The purpose of the Code of Conduct is to uphold and strengthen dentistry as a member of the learned professions.

The Code of Conduct was amended October 1996, October 1999, April 2004, October 2005, October 2007, and October 2010.

Guidelines for Advertising by Dentists

The Board of Regents of the American College of Dentists recognizes that advertising is legal. However, it does not encourage or support advertising by dentists and feels that any form of advertising by dentists is demeaning to the profession, is not in the best interests of the public, and is not in keeping with its perception of professionalism. If however, Fellows of the College feel that they must advertise, such advertising should be in compliance with the position of the College, "Guidelines for Advertising by Dentists."

Preamble

The courts have sought to define the nature and extent of permissible advertising by professionals. In a series of decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that professional advertising, which is not false or misleading, is commercial speech entitled to protection under the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Pending further clarification by the courts, some advertising practices exist which may be detrimental. Some forms of advertising may adversely affect public perceptions about the dental profession itself. For example, empirical evidence suggests that undignified advertising can detract from the public's confidence in and respect for the dental profession. Under present law, the matter of dignity is widely believed to be so subjective as to be beyond the scope of constitutionally permitted regulating. Nevertheless, it seems entirely proper for the American College of Dentists to suggest non-binding aspirational goals for dentists who wish to advertise so that they may do so in a dignified manner. Although only aspirational, such goals must be scrupulously sensitive to the fundamental constitutional rights of dentists and the needs of the public. It is the role and responsibility of dentists to provide dental health care to the public. It is also the dental professions' responsibility to inform the public about the availability of dental services.

Advertising is one of the many methods by which dentists may inform the public about dental care. Although most people find dentists through word-of-mouth networks of family, friends, and work associates, when properly done, advertising may help people to better understand the dental care available to them and how to obtain that care.

Individual dentists are at all times representatives of the dental profession, and as such, they have a special obligation to assure that their conduct conforms to the highest ideals of the profession. Thus, dentists who advertise should be mindful not only of the effect their advertising may have on their own professional image, but also of the effect it may have on the public's overall perception of the dental profession.

Advertising which is false, misleading, or deceptive, may be prohibited by State Law or Code of Ethics. Furthermore, it is the belief of this College that when advertising, though not false, misleading, or deceptive, degenerates into undignified and unprofessional presentations, the public is not served. Thus, the dentist who advertises does not benefit, and the image of the dental profession may be harmed.

The following aspirational goals are not intended to establish mandatory requirements which might form the basis for disciplinary enforcement. The American Dental Association's Principles of Ethics and Codes of Professional Conduct and Advertising Rules of State Boards of Dentistry establish the standards which all dentists who advertise must meet. Rather, these aspirational goals are intended to provide suggested objectives which all dentists who engage in advertising their services should be encouraged to achieve in order that the dental advertising may reflect the professionalism of the dental community.

While "dignity" and "good taste" are terms open to subjective interpretation, dentists should consider that advertising which reflects the ideals stated in the following Aspirational Goals is likely to be dignified and suitable to the profession.

Aspirational Goals

1. Advertising by dentists should encourage and support the public's confidence in the individual dentist's competence and integrity and the commitment of the dental profession to serve the public's dental needs in the tradition of dentistry as a learned profession.

2. Advertising by dentists should help the public understand its dental needs and the dental care delivery process, and should uphold the dignity of the dental profession.

3. Since advertising must be truthful and accurate, and not false, misleading, or deceptive, dentists should realize that ambiguous or confusing advertising can be misleading.

4. Particular care should be taken to describing fees in advertisements. If an advertisement states a specific fee for a particular service, it should make clear whether or not all similar problems can be handled for that specific fee. Also care should be taken in describing the dentist's areas of practice and competency.

5. Dentists should consider that the use of inappropriately dramatic music, unseemly slogans, premium offers, slapstick routines, or outlandish settings in advertising does not instill confidence in the dentist or the dental profession and undermines the serious purpose of dental services and the dental health care system.

6. Dental advertising should avoid creating false or unjustifiable expectations of favorable results or appealing primarily to a lay person's fears.

ACD Policy on Advertising

Guidelines for defining false, misleading, or deceptive advertising include any, or all of, but are not limited to, the following:

1. misrepresentation of fact;

2. misleading or deceiving because in context the advertisement makes only a partial disclosure of relative facts;

3. intending to create false or unjustified expectations of favorable results;

4. implying unusual circumstances;

5. misrepresenting fees which do not disclose all variables and other relevant factors;

6. intending to imply or to guarantee atypical results; or

7. containing a representation or implication regarding the quality of dental services which would suggest unique or general superiority to other practitioners which are not susceptible to reasonable-verification by the public.

The advisory opinions of the ADA Council on Ethics, Bylaws, and Judicial Affairs may be used by the College for additional interpretation of what constitutes false, misleading, and deceptive advertising.

These Guidelines for Advertising by Dentists are supported by the Code of Conduct and were adopted on October 1988 and amended October 1989.