Should dentists perform independent jaw wiring for weight loss? A principlist analysis

Abstract

This article presents an ethical analysis for the practice of jaw wiring as an independent weight loss intervention by dentists. The four foundational principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice serve as a framework for evaluating the ethical dimensions of the practice, and whether it can be justified. The ethical analysis of this weight loss procedure requires dentists to debate the potential benefits with possible harms, while respecting the autonomy and desires of the patient. While patients possess a fundamental right to autonomous decision-making, conceding to their autonomy is not absolute and dentists need to balance their decisions with considerations of beneficence and nonmaleficence. The ethical analysis concludes that dentists who refuse requests to independently perform jaw wiring for purely weight loss purposes are ethically justified within the principlist framework when the principles of nonmaleficence and beneficence are at stake. The wellbeing and health of the patient, as well as professional obligations, justify their refusal.