IDEALS-International Dental Ethics And Law Society

IDEALS is a group of people who had an interest in dental ethics and law but because of their other work found themselves scattered thinly within their countries and needed to link with others to gain the  benefits from sharing expertise and knowledge.

The Society was established to foster an international dialogue on the values guiding the practice of oral health care. This dialogue is intended to be multidisciplinary, involving the disciplines of dentistry and auxiliary oral health sciences on the one hand, and those of ethics and law on the other, as well as related disciplines such as philosophy, the humanities and the social sciences. The Society is open to all interested in partaking in this dialogue.

Specific Objectives

• To foster exchange of ideas, experiences and knowledge in the fields of dental ethics, dental law and related disciplines.
• To advance understanding and consideration of the values, patient rights and professional duties that guide the clinical practice of dentistry and oral health care.
• To advance the level of academic education in the aforementioned disciplines.
• To promote research and other scholarly activities, thereby increasing the available resources in the aforementioned disciplines.
• To promote the development of public policies that are respectful of the rights of patients and research subjects as well as the professional character of the oral health care disciplines.