Two major views of the dentistry exist in the American society as some see it as a profession while others argue that it is an occupation. Some practitioners (including the Canadian Dental Association (CDA)) claim that dentistry is a profession as it involves making “moral choices” (as cited in Welie, 2004b, p. 675). Welie (2004b, p. 675) also states that other practitioners (including the American College of Dentists (ACD)) focus on the “responsibility to the larger community” as the decisive criterion. It is important to consider both criteria to identify the central one. It is necessary to note that ethics and morality are present in many fields. Welie (2004a) stresses that being ethical and adherence to moral principles are basic for the profession and occupation. People will not address the person who acts immorally as such approach is likely to translate into the provision of poor-quality services. For instance, if a seller provides the customer with stale fruit, the buyer will not use the product and will go to another seller. The competition will be lost. Morality and ethics have become important competitive advantages. Professionals should also act ethically and morally. Otherwise, people may lose the trust in their profession rather than individual providers of particular services. For example, if a doctor puts some interests above the patients’ interests and needs, the latter (as well as many other people) may develop distrust to the system of health care and will address healers or clergy. As far as the responsibility to the community is concerned, it serves as the background for the social contract. Welie (2004a) claims that the profession implies the provision of services that are vital to people and the entire society. For example, when it comes to dentists, they reveal some responsibility to the larger community if some emergency cases occur. In other words, they feel they are responsible for adhering to the principles of the profession (competence, peer review, and so on) if there is a life-threatening condition. This area is the platform for maintaining the social contract between the public and dentists. Nevertheless, when it comes to the array of beauty-related issues, dentists do not follow the principles mentioned above. They act as business people as they often keep some secrets of the trade and are less involved in peer review. Competition is also quite fierce in this sphere. Hence, the social contract is impossible under such circumstances. The brief evaluation of the two criteria makes it clear that responsibility to the public is the central one as far as the profession is concerned. Ethical and moral behavior is a must in the business world and the sphere of the public good. It is an important criterion, but it cannot be seen as the decisive one. Responsibility to the community is much more important as it is the background for the social contract, which, in its turn, is associated with the concept of the profession. Dentists as professionals should focus on the public good and the interests of people they serve. They should have the necessary knowledge, skills, training. However, they should also be open to peer reviews and assessment as these elements ensure the development of the field and the focus on the needs of individuals served and the community. The