The mission of dentistry is to provide high quality services to preserve and promote the oral health of the population [1]. These preventive and therapeutic services must be provided to the highest standards. To achieve these great goals, a dentist enters this field as a professional. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayThe principles of professional ethics include the commitments that people in a profession have to society [1]. Society expects a professional to prioritize the health of patients and society over personal benefits in all professional decisions, which is the most important way to build public trust [ 1 ]. To provide dental services with maximum efficiency, it is necessary for service providers to be committed to ethical considerations, which would result in peace of mind and safety for patients and society. Medical ethics is a structured system aimed at providing appropriate strategies for resolving ethical issues. challenges in the field of medicine [2]. Ethical objectives and values, formulated as ethical codes, can be used as a source of ethical decision-making and performance for dentists. The purpose of developing professional codes of ethics for dentists is to provide an ethical standard for the practice of dentists, to inform the public of these standards, and to ensure professional integrity [3]. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) emphasizes respect for the patient. dignity in health care [4]. The analysis of professional ethical responsibilities reveals a series of irrefutable common ethical principles; for example, there is no doubt about the need for respect, confidentiality and fidelity. If ethical considerations guarantee compliance with these general principles, they must be defined exclusively for each profession. In professions where human connections, whether in the form of a relationship with a patient or a colleague, are stronger, the exact precision of these principles seems more necessary. An example of such professions is dentistry. Respect for patients' rights is one of the most important professional principles of medical ethics. Dental associations have codified the written expression of obligations arising from the implicit contract between the dental profession and society. The most prestigious code is developed by the American Dental Association (ADA) under the title “Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct.” , which is updated every year [5]. The practice involves all dentists who are members of this association. The latest version of the ADA Codes of Ethics (2018) includes three main elements: “Ethical Principles, Code of Professional Conduct, and Advisory Opinions” [5]. One of the most comprehensive ethical guidelines was developed by the General Council. Dental Council (GDC) of England in 2013 [6]. This document regulates the standards of conduct, performance and ethical principles and guidelines that govern dental professionals. It also specifies what patients can expect from dental professionals [6]. The American College of Dentists (ACD) has dedicated the Handbook of Dentist Ethics to the dental profession since 2000 and revises it every four years; This handbook provides a useful introduction to ethics, professionalism and ethical decision-making. This involves ethical questions related to theadvertising, child abuse, competence and judgment, confidentiality, delegation of functions, social media, disclosure and misrepresentation, financial arrangements, informed consent, refusal, obligation and abstention from treating patients [7]. The Dental Association also has ethical principles for professional behavior and four principles of medical ethics. It also specifies the ethical obligations of dentists towards patients, staff, colleagues and associations[8,9]. Much attention has recently been paid to the development of medical ethics principles in Iran, resulting in the development of general and specific codes of research ethics, comprehensive documentation of the country's pharmaceutical system, a code of nursing ethics in Iran, professional standards charter of ethics of psychiatry in Iran and charter of patients' rights [10-13]. In 2018, the Medical Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran issued general ethical guidelines for healthcare professionals and their affiliates under 11 titles, including general obligations, standards of high quality service delivery, priority to profits of patients, justice and impartiality, honor and integrity, respect for autonomy, confidentiality and privacy, management of medical errors, relationships with colleagues, organizational and social responsibilities, dress codes in clinical settings, medical training and research. The Iranian medical community is required to adhere to the codes presented in the guidelines; non-compliance may result in prosecution and sanctions [14]. These priorities are also shared in dentistry as a branch of medical science; however, due to differences in the activities of dentists and their relationship with patients compared to medicine, it is imperative to develop ethical considerations specific to dentistry. Dentists must make different decisions due to technological advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment as well as changes in the economic situation and patient expectations. Public publication of the ethical considerations will serve as a guide to service providers on how to provide the service. Additionally, due to Iran's cultural, social, economic and religious differences with other countries, some problems in the dentist-patient relationship, such as close and prolonged physical contact with the patient and a greater proportion of direct payments, are different from those of other countries. Since the establishment of a dental school under Melczarski in 1930 [15], no attempt has been made to develop codes of ethics for dentists despite their necessity. Additionally, although professional dentists are committed to adhering to generally accepted codes of ethics, few studies have assessed whether dentists apply these principles in practice. The aim of this study was to develop codes of ethics for Iranian general dentists to serve as a preliminary source to provide a tool for evaluating the current ethical status of dentists, to achieve standardized codes and to improve professional performance dentists. METHODS: The present study was conducted at the Research Institute of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, from August 2016 to July 2018. This qualitative study was carried out in three phases: Phase One: A comprehensive and systematic search was conducted using published books, manuscripts and articles as well as Internet databases to retrieve selected guidelines and articles most relevant to the "Code of Conduct" and "The.