A Dental Ethic of Work: The Eighth Commandment
Gordon Wong
This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of FOCUS.
The eighth commandment, “You shall not steal,” is an open window into understanding an area of human life that challenges us in every season, that is, vocation and work. Honesty and ethics in the dental office is encouraged when there is a focused purpose of work. When we appreciate that all work is a partaking in God’s work, the main meaning of work becomes first to glorify Him, and then to take care of our families, our church and the poor in society. (W. Ross Hastings, Pastoral Ethics. Moral Formation as Life in the Trinity (Bellingham: Lexham Academic, 2022), 293) We then experience the harmony of shalom as “being-in-relation,” and in “proper relatedness to God.” ( Ross Hastings, Missional God, Missional Church. Hope For Re-Evangelizing the West (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2012), 128.)
This commandment is important when considering a theology of work and an ethic of work. The Old Testament precedent that still has application to workplace ethics, is the payment of fair wages to employees (Deuteronomy 24:14-15), avoiding taking advantage of orphans, widows and the poor, staying away from the dishonest dealings of the business world and instead, exhibiting a biblical and moral substitute. (Hastings, Pastoral, 276-7.) What we do and how we do our dentistry matters to God. Therefore, we ought to take our work seriously. Honesty in our dental office is a gauge of more profound character development, that is, our moral formation, and flowing from that, our spiritual formation. We are called to obey the Great Commandments (the Decalogue) and the cultural mandate, which includes “the creation order of work.” (W. Ross Hastings,Theological Ethics. The Moral Life of the Gospel in Contemporary Context (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2021), 87.) This involves kindness and fairness for the poor, and work and creation care, respectively. Sadly, many Christians have never thought of a theology of work for the lifelong career they have committed themselves to.
Supreme Tests of Honesty in Dentistry
2. “What do we do when no one is looking?” (Hastings, Pastoral, 282.) Joseph shows what it takes to pass this acid test of honesty in his reply to Potiphar’s wife in the book of Genesis:
My master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God. (Genesis 39:8,9 NLT)
Joseph demonstrates trustworthiness as a servant of his master, Potiphar. But more than that, he did not want to violate God’s trust.
2. “How do we handle ourselves when false accusations come our way?” (Hastings,Pastoral, 282.) Even when sent to prison under the false accusation of Potiphar’s wife, Joseph shows honesty while working for the prison warden:
But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed. (Genesis 39:20-23 NLT)
3. “How do you handle success when it comes your way?” (Hastings, Pastoral, 283.) Joseph was not corrupted by pride, fame or popularity but remained humble and steadfast:
It is beyond my power to do this, but God can tell you what the dream means and set you at ease. […] Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours. (Genesis 41:16,39-40 NLT)
Moral Formation in Dentistry
Moral formation in Joseph’s life was shaped in three ways. Firstly, it was about an openness and responsiveness to God’s disclosure to him. In our lives, moral formation requires being receptive to God’s disclosure to us through the reading of his Word, the exhortation of his Word and the movement of His Spirit. Secondly, Joseph practiced the presence of God in his life which would of necessity produce moral formation in him. Thirdly, Joseph relied on the power of God in him. Moral formation is inevitable as the power of the Spirit flows and transforms us.
For the practice of dentistry, moral formation is about identifying with the life of Christ in His death, burial and resurrection: dying to untruth and living for Him in family, work and church that He has providentially given us. (Hastings, Pastoral, 287-8.) Awareness of the presence of God helps to determine what we do when we are not under scrutiny. It sustains us and imparts peace under the pressure of false accusations. It keeps us from pride in our successes. Practicing the presence of the Lord is the high goal of the Christian life.
Practical Dental Tips from Experience
Maintain Trustworthiness
Make reading and meditation on Scripture a daily practice.
Spend a few minutes at the beginning of each day praying through your patient schedule and committing your whole day to the Lord.
See your patient through God’s eyes by praying, “This man or this woman – perfect in Christ Jesus! This friend or this relative – perfect in Christ Jesus!” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, ed. James Reimann (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 1992), March 26.) Walk with Him always!
Always maintain a high level of excellence in your work, even though you may be exhausted!
Avoid sloppy work or cutting corners. Don’t rush and take more time if you need it.
Remember, your best legacy is how you treat your patients. They will know and sense that you care for them!
Set a reasonable fee schedule. Be faithful in your tithing.
Be a “living and holy sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1)” for your patient’s care. That is your true witness!
Pray always for God’s touch on your dental patient’s life through your ministry to them.
Limit screentime. Do not neglect spending time with your children and spouses. Ever since my sons were three or four years old, I would have breakfast out with one child each week.
Be accountable for your time! Your reputation and others’ reputation are at stake
Do Not Be Anxious about False Accusations
Remember, you are a dental health care provider, and complications will always happen.
Be truthful and upfront with your patient and tell them what happened. Don’t try to hide your complications! Patients will appreciate and trust you. Patients sense when you are genuinely concerned and care for them.
Be truthful that you gave your best possible treatment and be able to defend it. Keep calm!
I have seen several times when dentists have attempted very difficult impactions beyond their skills and teeth have been displaced into the infratemporal fossa or sinus, and the patient or parents were never informed, creating a major problem months or even years later. Be truthful and upfront, inform them what happened and then make the appropriate referral.
Always have the patient’s well-being in mind. It helps to maintain their trust in you!
Be obsessive/compulsive! Check, recheck and check again! Have your assistant double check! It will help keep errors and mistakes to a minimum. Pray always!
The Greatest Test of Honesty is When You are Successful
Keep a humble attitude in success! Don’t boast! Keep silent about your achievements!
Always be gracious, have a grateful heart, always giving thanks to God in everything!
Give copious encouragement, praise and thanks to your staff. They need to know that they are also a part of your success.
Set a godly example to your staff by addressing them respectfully, professionally, and prayerfully.
Don’t be critical, derogatory or judgmental about your colleague’s work in your patient’s presence. You may not appreciate under what conditions he/she may have had to work. Pray!
Conclusion
Your routine dentistry can become a kind of worship to God. (Matthew Kaemingk and Cory B. Willson, Work and Worship. Reconnecting Our Labor and Liturgy (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2020), 13.) As you worship God through your work, a closeness develops with God. (Kaemingk and Willson, Work, 46.) When God touches our ordinary routines of work, He transforms our work and makes it holy. Drudgery then becomes one of the best tests of character formation. (Chambers, My Utmost, February 19.) Only with the supernatural grace of God can we live each minute daily as a saint, enduring drudgery in our dentistry, and living as an ordinary, overlooked, and unheeded disciple of Jesus. We think that we must do great things for God. But in fact, God wants us to be exceptional in the ordinary matters of life, holy in the ordinary procedures of your dental practice, among your ordinary patients. And this is not learned in five minutes. (Chambers, My Utmost, October 21.) Your time as a dentist will eventually come to an end, and you can look back over your practicing career without any regrets having served your Lord faithfully, and receive the reward; “Well done, good and faithful servant.”