What may seem a run-of-the-mill appointment for the dentist can often be a major event for the patient. Keeping detailed records of discussions and warnings is essential...

What happens when experts disagree? Clinical opinion can and will differ from dentist to dentist, and as this case shows, sometimes the best option is to bring the experts together...

I was working as a young graduate dentist some years ago. I had three years of experience since graduating, and like many dentists starting their careers I worked at two different practices. I had recently started doing three days per week at a practice unsupervised and I felt confident in my clinical experience to do this, comforted by the knowledge that I could refer if required...

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.

An innocent enough question but, when an adverse incident occurs, make sure the patient’s welfare is your main priority...

Radiographs are vital tools to determine what is happening in a patient’s mouth. Without this knowledge, problems can arise...

A patient cannot consent to treatment when sedated, so the simple answer is not to do anything the patient has not agreed to, as this case demonstrates...

Making clinical judgements that go against the grain is never a good idea. If in doubt, Dental Protection is only ever a phone call away...

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

Failing to make the correct diagnosis inevitably means the treatment will fail too. As this case illustrates, seeing the bigger picture should always be the aim...

While clinical judgement rests in the dentist’s hands, not telling the patient what you’re doing or have done can bear consequences down the line...

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...

Patients cannot be relied upon to second-guess your treatment plans. Making sure they understand what is reasonably expected of them along with any consequences of non-compliance is essential...

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...

You should never hesitate to call us at Dental Protection if you’re unsure about something. It’s what we’re here for...

Without adequate records being made of patients being warned about possible treatment outcomes, you’ve little chance of defending yourself in court, as this case illustrates...

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…