The ADA Code is, in effect, a written expression of the obligations arising from the implied contract between the dental profession and society. Members of the ADA voluntarily agree to abide by the ADA Code as a condition of membership in the Association. They recognize that continued public trust in the dental profession is based on the commitment of individual dentists to high ethical standards of conduct. The Principles of Ethics are the aspirational goals of the profession. They provide guidance and offer justification for the Code of Professional Conduct and the Advisory Opinions .
Principles can overlap each other as well as compete with each other for priority.
More than one principle can justify a given element of the Code of Professional Conduct . Principles may at times need to be balanced against each other, but, otherwise, they are the profession's firm guideposts. The Code of Professional Conduct is an expression of specific types of conduct that are either required or prohibited. The Code of Professional Conduct is a product of the ADA's legislative system. All elements of the Code of Professional Conduct result from resolutions that are adopted by the ADA's House of Delegates.