Dental Protection advises two members from a practice following a patient complaint after a replacement filling was required.

When I started out, beginning from scratch was almost always better. There was a shortage of dentists in many rural areas, and you could open and be instantly busy. Those days are gone.

I didn’t really want to work for anyone else when I graduated, I just liked the idea of being my own boss and so I found my own premises to set up in. I’m happy still with the decisions and choices I made, although it came with challenges...

Clear lines of communication between everyone in the practice are essential to minimise the chances of something like this happening...

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...

If you haven’t got a system in place for adequately dealing with patients when the practice is closed, you’ll have much more to deal with than disgruntled patients...

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...

With everything else going on, it can be easy to miss signs of a patient’s dissatisfaction, but you can save yourself a lot of trouble later on by tuning your senses to even the mildest shifts in personality…

There is only one true version of events and presenting any other leaves you open to criticism or worse. Getting all the facts straight is always the best course of action...

Complaints can arise in unusual circumstances – keeping cool and calm and responding respectfully are always better choices than losing your temper...

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

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...

Clear and transparent terms in a contract cannot be argued with, so both sides should always ensure they know where they stand…

Even when someone in a position of authority makes an enquiry about a patient, the rules on confidentiality remain the same...

As a practice owner, one has to be meticulous in documenting decisions, especially where dismissals could lead to claims of unfairness...

A patient refusing to pay is often an issue that requires more careful attention than threatening legal action against them, as this case demonstrates...