European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Ethics comes from the Greek word meaning ‘ethos’ originally meaning character or conduct.
It is typically used interchangeably with the word moral which is derived from the Latin word
‘mores’, which means customs or habits. Together these two terms refer to conduct, character,
and motivations involved in moral acts. Ethics is defined as a branch of philosophy concerned
with the study of those concepts that are used to evaluate human activities, in particular the
concept of goodness and obligation. It is a generic term referring to the moral code of conduct
in a civil society and the rules, customs and beliefs of that society.Dentistry, being one of the
healing professions, has an obligation to society that its members will stick on to high ethical
standards of conductThe purpose of dental ethics is to heighten ethical and professional
responsibility, promote ethical conduct and professionalism in the field of dentistry.It also
advances the dialogue on ethical issues, and stimulate further reflection on common ethical
problems in dental practice. This study assesses the knowledge among dental students
(undergraduates) in dental ethics.