The President and Executive Director of the Minnesota Board of Dentistry describe how the Bebeau course in ethics, for dentists referred because of ethical lapses, is used as part of the disciplinary process in the state. It is understood that breaches of ethical standards are a complex phenomenon, often engaged in by practitioners who know that they are doing wrong but nevertheless choose to do so. Typical patterns of transgression that result in referral to Dr. Bebeau's course include inappropriate billing practices, improper relations with staff of patients, questionable advertising, substandard care, "rough behavior," and gaps in infection control.