What is a profession?

Loss of autonomy should mean that dentistry may no longer be viewed as a profession. Relationships between medical professions, patients and politicians evolve as society disease patterns change. A new and more appropriately modern definition of what constitutes a profession may now be needed.

The development of clinical audit: use of a "quality web" constructed for a community dental service.

If clinical audit revolves around concepts of quality, then there is need to examine the basis of quality and thereby clinical audit as traditionally defined by health-care organizations. Basing quality on patients' stated needs is often insufficient. Gives an expanded view. Health-care consumers should not be confused with the term customers, and professional staff should be ready to consider patients' needs before those of any organization. In order to handle this wider view of quality in health care, describes the concept and construction of a quality web. Suggests that either by constructing their own quality web, or adapting the model given, clinical managers could adopt a broader perspective to quality and audit in the service they provide.