NOT having a code of ethics is an issue that could harm the public. The Board of Dentistry is charged with protecting the public.  Simply making up "rules" as we go along and trying to cover the bases that the unscrupulous dentists are exposing is like chasing your tail.  The ADA has THOUSANDS of dentists and issues that hammered out this code of ethics.  If you are against this, most likely you are not fitting in the ethical criteria set out by the ADA or have never read or seen the actual code.  As Dr. Iuorno said, why reinvent the wheel?  The code has already been hammered out and we just need to adopt it to protect the people of Virginia.