Professional Conduct, Ethics, and Unprofessional Conduct
The conduct standard
Indiana licensees must practice competently and ethically. Unprofessional conduct includes fraud or misrepresentation in practice, practicing outside the licensed scope, gross incompetence or negligence, patient abandonment, fee splitting without disclosure, improper prescribing, substance impairment, and failure to cooperate with the board. The board may discipline conduct that occurs in the dental office, in advertising, or online.
Advertising and social media
Advertising must not be false or misleading. Superlatives such as 'painless' or 'guaranteed' can be problematic if they create unjustified expectations or cannot be substantiated. Posting patient images or details on social media without valid authorization can violate confidentiality even if the post is later deleted.
Worked example
A dentist advertises 'guaranteed painless dentistry' and posts before-and-after photos of a patient without written authorization. A complaint is filed. The analysis has two tracks. The advertising claim may be misleading because painless results cannot be guaranteed for every patient. The photo post may violate confidentiality because the patient did not authorize the disclosure. Either theory can support a finding of unprofessional conduct, and together they show a pattern of disregard for the conduct rules.
Traps that cost marks
- Assuming only clinical errors count as unprofessional conduct.
- Treating a disclaimer as a cure for a misleading claim.
- Posting identifiable patient images without valid written authorization.
- Failing to report a colleague's impairment or serious violation when required.