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Recorded Session
Recorded Session

Sound Bites

Session: Practice Pulse Sound Bites

SB 24 - Stories from the Waitlist: Ethical Dilemmas in Operating Room Access

Saturday, May 23, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM PST
CE: 1 CE Hours
Recorded Session
Disclosure(s):
Lauren DiBenedetto, D.D.S., M.P.H.: No financial relationships to disclose
Joanie Jean, DMD: No financial relationships to disclose
Long delays for dental surgery under general anesthesia create profound ethical challenges. Using clinical scenarios, this session explores how operating room access intersects with the five principles of biomedical ethics: beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, and veracity. Participants will consider the harms of delayed care, inequities driven by insurance and hospital economics, and the moral distress for providers.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe the ethical challenges that arise from limited operating room access in pediatric dentistry.
  • Analyze real-world patient vignettes using the five principles of biomedical ethics: beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice and veracity.
  • Identify strategies and professional responsibilities that support equitable and timely access to hospital-based dental treatment for children.