The scene
On their first day in clinic, a student dentist decided to take a selfie to share with their friends on social media before the first patients arrived.
They noticed a locum dental nurse was behind them in the shot and didn't look happy, but assumed this was about something else and quickly posted the image with a caption.
Later that week they were informed the dental nurse had complained about the breach of privacy. The student worried this might lead to a fitness to practise investigation.
DDU advice
Although the student wasn't compromising patient confidentiality by taking a selfie with no patients in view, they hadn't considered the privacy of others around them by taking and posting the image online.
Unfortunately, their actions left them open to criticism for appearing unprofessional and showing a lack of respect towards another member of the dental team. This situation could have been avoided by noticing the dental nurse's discomfort and getting their permission before sharing the image.
It's an example of how mistakes on social media can lead to problems, and the importance of maintaining professionalism in every aspect of life, not just in clinical practice.
As the GDC points out in 'Student professionalism and fitness to practise,' "your online image can impact on your professional life and you should not post or share any information, including photographs and videos, which damage public trust."
The GDC's 'Guidance on using social media' also says dental professionals "must maintain appropriate boundaries" in relationships with colleagues.
More generally, the GDC expects future dental professionals to meet the standards of behaviour set by their training institution, which is likely to have policies on the appropriate use of mobile devices and social media.
The best thing the student could do at this point would be to show that they'd understood what they'd done wrong, that they were genuinely sorry and had taken steps to address the concerns raised. This might involve talking to their personal tutor about how they were taking responsibility and how best to make amends to the nurse involved.
What happened next
The student deleted the post and wrote a personal letter of apology, which their personal tutor forwarded to the dental nurse. In the letter, they explained they were carried away with the excitement of being in clinic and their actions had been thoughtless.
The student expressed regret for putting the nurse in a difficult position and breaching their privacy, and explained how they had reflected on their mistake and learned from it. The dental nurse accepted the apology and the dental school took no further action.
This page was correct at publication on 19/09/2024. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.
by Leo Briggs Deputy head of the DDU
Leo Briggs qualified from University College Hospital, London, in 1989. He has worked extensively in the community dental service including a brief period overseas. He has also worked in general dental practice.
Leo gained a masters degree in periodontology from the Eastman in 1995 and is on the GDC specialist register for periodontics. From 1995-2017 he provided specialist periodontal treatment in both the salaried dental services and private practice. He started working for the DDU in 2005. Between 2007 and 2009 he worked part time at the DDU and part time as a clinical tutor at the School for Professionals Complementary to Dentistry in Portsmouth. In 2009 Leo went full time with the DDU. In January 2016 he became deputy head of the DDU.