ArticleAustralian dental journal2018
Complaints about dental practitioners: an analysis of 6 years of complaints about dentists, dental prosthetists, oral health therapists, dental therapists and dental hygienists in Australia.
Article in Australian dental journal, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Design, delivery and effectiveness of health practitioner regulation systems: an integrative review.Human resources for health · 2023Pooled it
- The Impact of Age and Gender on Patient Grievances in a Dental Academic Setting: A 6-Year Analysis.European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe · 2026Article
- A Cross-Sectional Survey of Final Year Dental Students' Opinions on Professionalism and Dental Board of Australia Tribunal Outcomes.European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe · 2026Article
- A Cross-Sectional Study of Postgraduate Orthodontic Students' Moral Reasoning Ability and Opinions on Professionalism and Dental Board of Australia Tribunal Outcomes.Dentistry journal · 2026Article
- An Overview of Dentist-Patient Communication in Quality Dental Care.Dentistry journal · 2025Review
- Content analysis of online reviews for dental clinics in Saudi Arabia.The Saudi dental journal · 2024Article
- Dental patients as partners in promoting quality and safety: a qualitative exploratory study.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- Risk identification and prediction of complaints and misconduct against health practitioners: a scoping review.International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care · 2024Article
- Dentist Disciplinary Action: What Do Dentists Get in Trouble for?Healthcare policy = Politiques de sante · 2023Article
- An evaluation of the accuracy of bracket positioning with and without loupes using 3Shape Ortho Analyzer software.Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences · 2023Article
- Orthodontic Retention-Protocols and Materials-A Questionnaire Pilot Study among Polish Practitioners.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Recent research into healthcare professions regulation: a rapid evidence assessment.BMC health services research · 2021Review
- The Incidence and Nature of Claims against Dentists Related to Periodontal Treatment in Israel during the Years 2005-2019.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Complaints about dental practitioners: an analysis of 6 years of complaints about dentists, dental prosthetists, oral health therapists, dental therapists and dental hygienists in Australia.Australian dental journal · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPrevious research has found dental practitioners at elevated risk of complaint compared with other health professions. This study aimed to describe the frequency, nature and risk factors for complaints involving dental practitioners.
methodsWe assembled a national dataset of complaints about registered health practitioners in Australia between January 2011 and December 2016. We classified complaints into 23 issues across three domains: health, performance and conduct. We compared rates of complaints about dental practitioners and other health practitioners. We used negative binomial regression analysis to identify factors associated with complaints.
resultsDental practitioners made up 3.5% of health practitioners, yet accounted for approximately 10% of complaints. Dental practitioners had the highest rate of complaints among fourteen health professions (42.7 per 1000 practitioners per year) with higher rates among dentists and dental prosthetists than allied dental practitioners. Male practitioners were at a higher risk of complaints. Most complaints about dentists related to treatments and procedures (59%). Around 4% of dentists received more than one complaint, accounting for 49% of complaints about dentists. In 60% of closed cases no regulatory action was required. Around 13% of complaints resulted in restrictive actions, such as conditions on practice.
conclusionImproved understanding of patterns may assist regulatory boards and professional associations to ensure competent practice and protect patient safety.
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Registered trials
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