All dental patients are entitled to high standards of professional and personal behaviour from those providing their care.  To help dental professionals meet the standards the Council expects, we provide them with guidance on best practice called Standards for Dental Professionals . We update it regularly and send it to every new dental professional we register.

Standards for Dental Professionals sets out six key principles of ethical practice:

1. Putting patients’ interest first and acting to protect them
2. Respecting patients’ dignity and choices
3. Protecting patients’ confidential information
4. Co-operating with other members of the dental team and other healthcare colleagues in the interests of the patients
5. Maintaining your professional knowledge and competence
6. Being trustworthy

Standards for Dental Professionals is supported by supplementary guidance on:

• Principles of patient consent
• Principles of patient confidentiality
• Principles of dental team working 
• Principles of complaints handling 
• Principles of raising concerns
• Principles of management responsibility

Standards for Dental Professionals is also supported by the following statements: 

• Conducting clinical trials
• Responsible prescribing
• Child protection