Name the three core ethical principles in dental hygiene.

• A. Autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence
• B. Truthfulness, confidentiality, justice
• C. Autonomy, privacy, equality
• D. Beneficence, confidentiality, justice

Answer: (A)

In dental hygiene ethics, the foundation rests on respecting patients’ choice and rights, avoiding harm, and promoting their well-being. The best choice reflects these three guiding principles: autonomy, nonmaleficence, and beneficence.

Autonomy means honoring a patient’s right to be informed and to make their own decisions about treatment, including understanding options and consequences. Nonmaleficence is the obligation to do no harm and to minimize potential harm from care. Beneficence involves actively contributing to the patient’s welfare by providing beneficial treatments and education that improve health.

Truthfulness, confidentiality, and justice are also important in practice, but they are not grouped here as the three core principles typically emphasized together. Truthfulness relates to honesty in communication, confidentiality protects patient information, and justice concerns fair and equitable treatment. The trio of autonomy, nonmaleficence, and beneficence best captures the central ethical duties directly guiding patient-centered care in dental hygiene.