This case study looks at how Dental Protection advised a member who had been investigated following the incorrect administration of a sedative.

A retained root causes a patient complaint against a dentist. While Dental Protection supported him in rectifying the matter, issues were raised with his record-keeping – find out what learning points came out of this case.

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...

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...

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...

Issuing warnings or important information to a sedated patient is never recommended. As this case demonstrates, you should make sure the patient understands any possible outcomes before treatment starts...

Technical excellence is something that may not be equally appreciated by clinician and patient. Regarding treatment from the patient’s point of view can help, as this case shows...

When it comes to changing a patient’s appearance, you must be careful not to assume your vision is the same as theirs...

Just because you understand something doesn't mean the patient does too. Ensure there are no misunderstandings to prevent payment headaches...

Even if you’re sure you’ve given your patient all the options for treatment, without the records to back you up, trouble can ensue...

If you don’t record discussions with patients and warnings in the records, how can you hope to defend against a claim for negligence?

Acting outside of one’s level of experience is one thing but failing to explain all treatment options, or the possibility of having none at all, is quite another...

The importance of discussing and documenting everything with your patients cannot be over-emphasised, as this case proves...