I’m the sort of person that cares too much and becomes emotionally committed to my patients. While kind and caring patients appreciate this, when a patient sets out to destroy you it takes over your own life instead...

I don’t think that I was taught orthodontics very well at an undergraduate level. That is to say, I think our lecturers scared us off it, telling us that it was best left to ‘the experts’ and so I didn't leave dental school feeling in any way confident to treat orthodontic patients.

A patient in pain can create headaches for the practice too. Making sure you attend to a patient's needs, and can prove you did so, are paramount...

When a patient makes a complaint, the one thing you’ll be able to rely on is your records. If they are not detailed enough, you could find yourself in real trouble...

Something that sounds simple and straightforward to the dentist may be unintelligible to the patient. Avoid later troubles by ensuring the patient understands what you’re talking about...

As a dentist you always aim to do the best you can, but if you don’t effectively manage your patient’s expectations, they might have good grounds for a claim...

A combination of factors leads to success or failure in any complicated case. Taking care at the planning stage will help to swing the odds in your favour...

Being aware of the feelings and reactions of everyone in the surgery helps to minimise the chances of future complaints, as this case shows...

As this case illustrates, making comments without knowing the full story can lead to problems...

A patient raised a query about the amount she was asked to pay for her dental treatment. The receptionist, who was new to the practice, assured the patient that the charge was correct. The patient paid the account and left the practice...

Something as small and simple as an email carries its own pitfalls. Make sure you understand the technology you use to communicate with patients...

As this case illustrates, clear communication between dentist and patient at all stages helps to minimise the chances of any problems during treatment...