First Croatian International Congress „Ethics in Dental Medicine“

Section of Doctors of Dental of the Croatian Catholic Medical Society together with Croatian Dental Chamber organized May 15-16, 2015 in Zagreb (Croatia) first Croatian International Congress „Ethics in Dental Medicine“. At this congress, except doctors of dental medicine, medical doctors, priests and philosophers from Croatia participated past President of World Federation of the Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC) dr. José María Simón and Secretary of FIAMC dr. Ermanno Pavesi.

On this congress various ethical problems of doctors of dental medicine were put forward such as meeting the requirements of patients, changes of the relationship patient-doctor as well as the protection of some particularly delicate groups in population (such as psychiatric patients and children).

In the presentation on the professional diseases of doctors of dental medicine the problem of ethics regarding doctors working while suffering of back-bone pain was raised. In Croatia more than 30 % of dental medical doctors must each year visit doctors because of the pain in muscles and joints. Except eye diseases, doctors of dental medicine often suffer of chronic stress which may result with mental illnesses, syndrome of burning-out on the work and among all other professions they have the highest number of suicides.

Congress was not limited to ethical problems in dental medicine, but it gave broader view on the ethical problems in health care and various resolutions and codes of ethics and deontology that protect patients and professionals in health care. Particularly interesting were lectures on ethics and esthetics, motivation for medical profession, autonomy of doctors as well as on the relationship towards health and diseases in Holy Testament and early Christianity.

At the beginning of the Congress the new book “Bioethics in the art of healing” written by dr. Ermanno Pavesi was presented to the audience. This book was issued in the collaboration of Center of Bioethics of Theological and Philosophical Institute of Jesuits and Croatian Catholic Medical Society. The editor was mons. Valentin Pozaić, spiritual assistant of FIAMC and Croatian Catholic Medical Society.

The Congress participants were delighted with the first public presentation of bioethical themes in dental medicine and expressed their desire to hear more often about these arguments.

Maja Peraica, MD, PhD

http://www.hkld.hr/sekcije/20-stomatolozi/172-sekcija-doktora-dentalne-medicine-u-hkld-u

http://www.fiamc.org/uncategorized/conference-in-zagreb-croatia/

http://www.fiamc.org/uncategorized/morals-dogma-in-dental-medicine/