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Ethical dilemma: Conducting yourself professionally online

BDJ Student (2025)Cite this article

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Q. I'm a student dentist who recently had their first day on clinic. Before the first patients were due to arrive, I took a quick selfie to share with my friends and Instagram followers. I was so excited to be on clinic that I didn't initially notice the dental nurse who was also in the shot - they didn't look happy, but I assumed this was due to another issue, so I posted the image with a caption.

A few days later, I was told that the dental nurse had complained stating that this was unprofessional and a breach of their privacy. I really regret posting this image and took it down after I realised a complaint had been made.

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References

  1. General Dental Council. Student Professionalism and Fitness to Practise - What you need to know? Introduction for student dental professionals. January 2024. Available online at: https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/education-and-cpd/students-and-trainees/guidance-for-students/student-professionalism-and-fitness-to-practise-an-introduction-for-students.pdf?sfvrsn=d34ea419_5 (accessed March 2025).

  2. General Dental Council. Guidance on using social media. January 2024. Available online at: https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/guidance-documents/guidance-on-using-social-media (accessed March 2025).

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  1. Dental Defence Union, London, United Kingdom

    Anne Budenberg

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  1. Anne Budenberg
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Correspondence to Anne Budenberg.

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Budenberg, A. Ethical dilemma: Conducting yourself professionally online. BDJ Student (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41406-025-1495-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41406-025-1495-y

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