What do you know about the four pillars of ethics?

Ethics is an important part of dentistry because you are dealing with vulnerable individuals, and you need to know how to deal with sensitive information. The four pillars of ethics will help guide you in your clinical decisions.

The four pillars are:

• Beneficence- keeps the patient's best interests at heart
• Non-malevolence- 'do no harm'
• Autonomy- respecting patient's wishes
• Justice- ensuring equality within the healthcare system

In the interview, make sure you name the four pillars of medical ethics and know what they mean. Also, try to relate how these are relevant to dentistry and if you can, provide examples of how you have seen this in your work experience. Bonus points if you can talk about a time where you have used one or more of the four pillars in your life.

How the four pillars are relevant to dentistry:

• Beneficence- improving overall health
• Non-malevolence- make sure you do not provide treatment that may cause their condition to worsen
• Autonomy- respecting a patient's right to refuse treatment
• Justice- make sure that people of all socio-economic backgrounds receive treatment

Suggested structure for this answer

• Name the four pillars of ethics and say what they mean
• Explain why this is relevant to dentistry
• Outline how you may have seen this in your work experience
• Mention a time you had to use one or more of the pillars in a personal experience
• Relate back to how you can deliver this as a dentist