Dental Protection Australia

Did you know that CaseMatters titles are genuine quotes from patient complaints that Dental Protection have assisted member with across the globe? 

The title of this CaseMatters podcast is “I thought she knew what she was doing’ which involved the provision of cosmetic veneers.   When a breakdown in communication unexpectedly occurred, the unfortunate result was a complaint to the regulator, a regulatory caution and a legal compensation claim.

In this episode of RiskBites Senior dentolegal consultant Dr Annalene Weston and Dental Protections inhouse lawyer Helen Harbourne discuss a particular type of allegation being increasingly argued in compensations claims, this being assault battery, and trespass. 

Listen in as Annalene and Helen discuss what these terms mean in the eyes of the law and how you can avoid being subject to such accusations.

Join Dr Annalene Weston, Senior Dentolegal Consultant at Dental Protection and Associate Professor Dr Matthew Hopcraft in this personal and informative episode of Risk Matters, titled “The road less travelled”. 

Listen in as Annalene and Matt revisit his early introduction into dentistry, talk through his illustrious career and explore different ways in which we can use our dental degree, based on their own journeys through the profession.

Join Dentolegal consultant Dr Simon Parsons and Senior Dentolegal consultant Dr Annalene Weston at Dental Protection, as they consider that in point in time where a patient moves from being a disgruntled patient to a complainant.

In this episode Simon recalls a case where a dental practitioner placed six veneers and despite feeling like he had done everything right and the case was a success, his patient was unforgiving when unexpected issues arose.

Join Dr Annalene Weston, Senior Dentolegal consultant at Dental Protection and Case Manger Kristin Trafford Wiezel as they consider that point in time when a patient moves from being a disgruntled patient to a complainant.

In this episode Kristin and Annalene discuss a case that highlights the difficulties encountered by practitioners when dealing with complaints, acknowledging that at times these complaints can feel more like a personal attack. In these situations, Annalene and Kristin remind us that during these times our initial ‘emotional response’ is often not the best response.

Join Case Manager Anita Kemp and Dr Annalene Weston, Senior Dentolegal Consultant at Dental Protection as they discuss some of the reasons that can sit behind a complaint. You may be surprised to hear that it is not always related to treatment.

Listen in as Anita and Annalene talk through a case, where the issues that led to a complaint were instigated before the practitioner even met the patients.

Join Case Manager Kristin Trafford Wiezel and Dr Annalene Weston, Senior Dentolegal Consultant at Dental Protection, as they consider an allegation of treatment without consent through the lens of two cases from the Dental Protection Vault.

Listen in as Kristin and Annalene identify and explore the tipping point in both cases – a moment in time when a patient moves from being a disgruntled patient to a complainant.

Join Dr Annalene Weston, Senior Dentolegal Consultant at Dental Protection, and Oral Medicine Specialist and Expert Dr Amanda Phoon Nguyen for an in-depth Q&A discussion about ‘The changing face of oral cancer’.

Listen in as Annalene and Amanda discuss the aetiology of oral cancer, patient demographics and risk factors and red flags. Additionally highlighting the necessity for routine oral cancer screening and the integral role Dental practitioners play in oral cancer screening, identification, referral, and diagnosis.

https://www.oralmedicineoralpathology.com

https://www.headandneckcancer.org.au/i-am-a-health-professional/the-changing-face-of-head-and-neck-cancer-gp-and-dentist-education-module/

Not only is patient autonomy one of the four underpinning principles of medical ethics, but it is also a vital component of the consent process and patient care. Gone are the days of paternalism but can patient autonomy go too far.In this episode of RiskBites, Dr Kiran Keshwara and Dr Annalene Weston speak about our patient’s ability to choose or refuse treatment, based on the treatment options presented and the risks and limitations provided. They go on to discuss the impact that this can have on practitioners, utilising a case study from the Dental Protection Vault to highlight the importance of undertaking and documenting the consent process.

Where does imaging sit in managing our risk? In our next episode of RiskBites, Dr Annalene Weston and Dr Kiran Keshwara from Dental Protection discuss the place of imaging in dentistry. Images, whether they are x-rays, photos or digital scans, make an important part of the patient records and should be considered to be a useful adjunct to our written records. Listen to find out more about this key topic in dentistry.