Is it unethical for a dentist to have sex with a willing and legal patient?

Question

This is a hypothetical question!

The dentist is a man and the patient is a woman!

Answer 1

no

Answer 2

I investigated complaints against licensed professionals for the State for 20 years, including cases such as this. In my experience there are two parts to this: whether it is unethical and whether it is unprofessional conduct. In general, the local Dentistry Society or Association would determine the ethics of this relationship. There is no legal sanction attached to that decsion. The Licensing Agency for your state would determine whether it is unprofessional conduct, which could result in action against his license. In my experience, sex between a dentist and a patient outside the office would not be determined to be actionable unless it resulted in some harm to the patient. EXCEPTION: If there is a specific regulation prohibiting dentists from having sex with patients, of course that would be a violation and subject the dentist to action against his license. I'm not saying that makes it right, but that's the way the law comes down in most cases. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Assuming they're both unmarried, yes. I personally don't feel you should have sex outside of marriage but I don't think it's unethical for a dentist to be involved with his patient.

A teacher shouldn't be involved with a student, a medical dr shouldn't be involved with a patient, but a dentist/patient relationship is fine.... assuming there's no coercion or force or a situation where the dentist is drugging the patient... or the patient is prostituting herself for dental treatments.. then it's fine.

Answer 4

As long as she has come to the dentist as a (Legal?) patient for professional treatment, the dentist is UNETHICAL if he manipulated the professional relationship into a sexual one!
If he continued with his unethical behavior, soon he won't even have a practice as a Dentist!
Where is the doubt, dear Lady?

Answer 5

A dentist must refuse to have sex with a willing patient because it is still unethical under the rules especially when solicited in the clinic. On some other place it could be valid.

Answer 6

This is what Wikipedia has to say about this in the medical rules of ethics.

Sexual relationships

Sexual relationships between doctors and patients can create ethical conflicts, since sexual consent may conflict with the fiduciary responsibility of the physician. Doctors who enter into sexual relationships with patients face the threats of deregistration and prosecution. It is estimated that between 2% and 9% of doctors have violated this rule based on a study in the early 1990s [9].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_ethics#Sexual_relationships

Answer 7

Most definitely is it unethical. Anyone in the medical profession is supposed to keep an objective view when it comes to their patients. Failure to do so could cost him his license to practice.

Answer 8

Why have most people assumed that the dentist is going to be a man? I have come across some dead kinky professional women.

Answer 9

if hes available as wel as cute and both him and the patient have no problem with it then go for it.. im mean theres no problem sleeping with a doctor is there so why should a dentist be an exception..;-)

Answer 10

Yes

Answer 11

Not when the doctor is a dentist. This only applies when mental health treatment is involved...