To protect the public: Professionalism vs competence in dentistry

This paper uses evidence from reports in the British Dental Journal from 1958 to 1979 of disciplinary charges against dentists in the United Kingdom to question the General Dental Council's (GDC) claim that it is protecting the public in relation to the competence of dental practitioners. In that 20-year period only one charge out of 86 heard by the GDC Disciplinary Committee had to do with a possible lack of professional competence, whereas 47% of the charges were for fraud and other criminal offences, 18% were for drug-related offences, 18% were for sex offences and 16% were for breaches of professional ethics or discipline. The paper argues that the GDC has been much more concerned with developing a professional image and style for dentists than it has been with assuring an adequate level of dental care for patients by dentists once they graduate. Although the data used to support the argument are from Britain and from dentistry, the argument may be extended to all professional occupations and countries where there is a State-enforced medical monopoly in relation to clients.