Industry Sponsorship in Dentistry: An Ethics Scoping Review

Abstract

Evidence to guide dentistry on conflict of interest (COI) and professional-industry relationships is limited. To determine the breadth of literature regarding ethics in dentistry and COI relating to sponsorship. A scoping review following the PRISMA extension was performed. Medline/PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were used to identify peer-reviewed sources, published 2013-2023. Titles, abstracts, and full-text reviews were conducted by two independent reviewers. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. The remaining studies underwent critical appraisal. Key findings were extracted and analyzed. Adjusted for critical appraisal thresholds, we evaluated a total of (n=9) studies associated with dentistry, COI, and sponsorship (industry and non-profit research funding). The majority of evidence demonstrated a significant correlation with disclosure of COI and professional ethical conflict. More than 32% of publications demonstrated no clear disclosure or failed to report COI. Sponsored studies demonstrated significantly greater scrutiny of disclosure practices, whereas industry/dentist-reported payments were prevalent but varied widely (19% to 62%). Regardless of funding or influence, dental professionals are likely to disclose industry conflicts when presented with policies to guide transparency, thus strengthening patient trust and professional code of ethics.