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Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition | 4/201516 being properly treated, and that money is not the dentist’s first con- cern,thisalonecanpreventlitigation in many cases. Of course, if a nerve is damaged, there needs to be a settle- ment of some kind, but if a bridge fails, for example, instead of filing charges the patient will return for further treatment if there is a solid, trust-basedrelationship. Time, communication, trust—what else is important when it comes to preventingmalpractice? One more basic rule every dentist shouldfollowisadheringtoevidence- based dentistry. This means not per- forming a certain treatment just be- cause in the dentist’s experience it is considered to be right. External scien- tificevidenceshouldbeimplemented. Also, every single finding should be takenintoaccountindetermininghow totreattheindividualpatient:diagno- sis, radiographs, periodontal analyses, age,healthstatus,literatureandsoon. Neglecting these related aspects can verylikelyleadtomisconduct. Doyouseebasicproblemsindentistry thatneedtochange? Nowadays, we face the problem of “cheap” dentistry. Owing to the amount of competition with the large number of dentists in the market, there are many cases of overtreatment.Cheapdentistryneeds to be fast, yet I have documented cases in which patients have re- turned for retreatment of a simple problemup to70timesintwoyears. Ifyouaddupthetimethosepatients investonlytohaveapooroutcome,it isstriking.However,itisnotpossible for there to be elite dental practices solely. For legal purposes, dental treatment does not need to be ex- quisite,butithastobereasonable. Maybe it is a problem of today that patientshaveincreasingexpectations regarding the service or technologies theirdentistshouldbeusing. That is certainly part of the same problem. Advertising that promises people a new Hollywood smile in twohoursformsthebasisofpatients’ beliefs or expectations regarding treatment. Dentists should not be tempted to involve themselves in this kind of misguided pressure. Honest communication is key when aiming to avoid disappointing pa- tients. Measures to prevent malpractice should begin as early as possible, but whereshouldpreventionstart? Personally, I think legal regulation should be extended, such as specific laws or by-laws concerning the amount of experience and training, forexample,requiredinordertoper- form certain procedures. Basically, it is just what common sense calls for andeverybodywillagreewithifthey thinkaboutit:shouldonebeallowed to place an implant after attending aspeakers’cornertalkorlookingover acolleague’sshoulder?No,yetthisis oftenwhathappens. A second measure could focus on undergraduate education. Dental schools should devote more time to prevention of lawsuits. This aspect is neglected in the curriculum, al- though it is an essential part of dentistry. General awareness of the subject needs to be raised and this alone would help prevent mistakes. As I said earlier, mistakes are not always avoidable, but they should at least not arise out of negligence, hubris or greed. Apart from that, there will always be cases of medical malpractice. Dentists are humans too;onlyhewhodoesnothingmakes nomistakesatall. Thank you very much for the inter- view. TRENDS&APPLICATIONS Y education everywhere and anytime Y live and interactive webinars Y more than 500 archived courses Y a focused discussion forum Y free membership Y no travel costs Y no time away from the practice Y interaction with colleagues and experts across the globe Y a growing database of scientific articles and case reports Y ADA CERP-recognized credit administration ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providersof continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. www.DTStudyClub.com Register for FREE! AD Bilateralmentalandlabialparaesthesiaina62-year-oldfemalepatientduetobilateralmandibularcanalperforation.©DrAndyWolff DTUK0415_14_16_Wolff 10.09.15 15:18 Seite 2 DTUK0415_14_16_Wolff 10.09.1515:18 Seite 2