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CD0412

special _ cost management I I 19cosmeticdentistry 4_2012 higher costs and lower revenues, also owing to the instability of supply and demand. Oral implantol- ogyisaffected,asareotherdisciplinesofdentistry, by the current socio-economic situation. Yet, the sense is that of a greater demand by the public and a need for the dentist to offer treatment at a lower cost. In Italy, there are more than 300 different im- plant systems (probably not an accurate estimate, considering the difficulty in recording copies of copies). These systems usually have the certifica- tion necessary for the market, but only a small proportion of them are supported by scientific evi- dence,basedonstudiesappropriatelydesignedand conducted by independent research institutions, attesting to their clinical performance, especially in the long term and with the proper follow-up. These are the considerations that, together with the lack of reference measure for quality, led the Italian Society of Osseointegrated Implantology to organise the quality forum in implantology, held in Verona from 15–17 November 2008, in which a large number of experts analysed the various aspects of quality in implantology. The selection of an implant system suited to the demands of the professional is strongly felt to optimise costs when trying to increase profits where possible without interfering with the qual- ity delivered. As written by Pierluigi La Porta in the context of the forum of quality in implantol- ogy:4 The professional liability requires that the pro- fessional has all the factors of production under his control by deploying useful tools to measure the quality of his works, the results that follow and the tools used to achieve performance. Moreover, the information asymmetry that characterizes the doctor-patient relationship is known in the health field,makingpatientsentrustthemselvestothepro- fessionals’ decisions in order to solve their health problem.Thisassignmentessentiallydenotesthein- abilityofthepatienttodecidewhatisreallybesttodo in that situation, even if he is well informed. His ex- pectationsarerelatedtothesolutionoftheproblem, but he rarely pays attention to the way it is resolved ortheinstrumentsused,sotheprofessionalissolely responsible.Thecaselawindicatestheresponsibility of the doctor to “act like a good father” when he is “The dentist?A mechanic who changed parts of your car, but, not being technical, you never know if you’re rubbing or not.”