This depends on whether you receive the invitation through SADA.

SADA provides impartial mediation services for patient complaints and requests for refunds through the dental mediator service. If you receive a notice of mediation through SADA you do not necessarily need to contact us, unless you are unsure and would like advice before proceeding.

However, SADA do not mediate claims for compensation. If you receive an invitation to attend a pre-mediation meeting or participate in a mediation process that is not through SADA, please notify us immediately on +27 11 484 5288 or email [email protected] before responding.

This is to ensure that you are properly advised through the process from the outset. Our sole purpose is to protect members, which is why we want to ensure that the mediation you undertake is done so with support from our experienced dentolegal team.

The cost of accessing indemnity in the UK is over 10 times that of a South African subscription and therefore a further subscription would be required. If you are moving to the UK for a single locum period then it is possible to do this with a temporary membership.

If you intend to provide locum cover on a number of occasions over a year then it may be better to take out a UK membership which may indemnify you for your work in South Africa.

Please contact us to discuss the best way to meet your membership needs.

It is recognised that many dentists carry out some cosmetic and adjunctive procedures. There is an increasing use of Botox and other types of cosmetic treatments. There is a debate at present as to whether this constitutes the practise of dentistry or not. However, Dental Protection’s view is that dentists are best placed to provide these procedures provided they have had suitable training. The grades that would be required for this type of procedure would be YDE, PSF, DPF, YDU and O50.

Maxillofacial surgery is all surgery that cannot be classified as dento-alveolar surgery. Dento-alveolar surgery involves surgery to intra-oral tissues, teeth and tooth-bearing bone, i.e. mandible and maxilla only. This includes procedures such as:

• Exodontia including wisdom teeth removal
• Apicectomies
• Minor cyst removal
• Dental cyst removal
• Placement of dental implants (excluding sinus lifts or bone augmentation which involves the floor of the sinus, or extra-oral bone harvesting, all of which are regarded as maxillofacial procedures)
• Minor pre-prosthetic surgery

Maxillofacial procedures include:

• Extra-oral procedures to the face, head and neck
• Excision of maxilla
• Hemi-maxillectomy
• Osteotomies
• Prosthetic replacement of temporomandibular joints including arthroplasty
• Reconstruction with axial and microvascular flaps
• Blocked section
• Surgical treatment of thyroid and parathyroid glands
• Surgery involving the orbital complex
• Rhinoplasty (other than immediate trauma after care)
• Facial cosmetic surgery including face lifts, dermabrasion, otoplasty, blethroplasty and liposuction

Cosmetic surgery that does not form part of the training programme for maxillofacial surgery does not fall within the scope of maxillofacial membership grades.

If the bone is harvested intra-orally and with an intra-oral approach then this falls within the definition of dento-alveolar surgery. If the bone is taken from elsewhere in the body or requires an extra-oral approach then this is a maxillofacial procedure.