I have had enough!

Few people in dentistry command greater respect and admiration than does Dr. Gordon Christensen. For years Dr. Christensen has not only kept in touch with the pulse of the profession but also has been, in many respects, dentistry's conscience. A founding member of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, Dr. Christensen is clearly one of dentistry's most revered elder statesmen. For this reason, I felt compelled to reprint a recent editorial that he wrote that should be a "wake-up call" for all of us in dentistry.—Harald O. Heymann, DDS, MEd, Editor-in-Chief     

I have had enough!

I apologize for making some of you nervous, and perhaps even resentful, but I HAVE HAD ENOUGH! I do not like the new unethical face of my profession, where incessant seeking of more money has replaced service to the public, honesty, and self-respect. Numerous areas of major ethical concern in dentistry are identified in this article. The ongoing, if not accelerating, degeneration of professional ethics in dentistry is clearly evident to even casual observers. Improvements in professional ethics are necessary to regain our self-respect and the respect of the people we serve. All of us need to improve, including practitioners, speakers, dental schools accomplishing research, manufacturers, editors, and evaluating groups. It is time to return to honesty and to dealing with our fellow men and women in the way we would want to be treated ourselves. I do not think it is too late.