Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jun;11(6):2729-2734.
doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2250_21. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

A retrospective assessment of the dental malpractice cases filed in Riyadh from 2009-2015

Ali M Abomalik  1 , Jamal A Alsanea  2 , Omar H Alkadhi  2
Affiliations

A retrospective assessment of the dental malpractice cases filed in Riyadh from 2009-2015

Ali M Abomalik et al. J Family Med Prim Care. 2022 Jun.

Abstract

Introduction: Malpractice is one of the most significant hazards to patient safety in healthcare and is considered the second factor associated with the overall quality of the healthcare system.

Aims and objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of malpractice in dentistry and its possible causes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during 2009-2015.

Methodology: A cross-sectional retrospective analysis of the dental complaints filed by the patients in the general directorate of forensic medicine centers in Riyadh was reviewed, and the data was collected. Descriptive statistics of frequency distribution and percentages were calculated using the collected data. The Chi-square test for categorical variables was performed with a significance level set at P < 0.05.

Results: The Riyadh region reported 168 (14.5%) dental malpractice cases during 2009- 2015. The highest number of malpractice cases was reported in 2010 (18.45%), and the least number of cases was reported in 2011 (10.1%). Prosthodontic specialty had the highest number of lawsuits (32.4%), followed by orthodontics (20.2%) and endodontics (15.8%). The Chi-square test showed no association between the different specialties and types of malpractice (P = 0.881) and between compensation and the type of malpractice (P = 0.832). Among the 114 cases, financial compensation was the most common retribution.

Conclusion: Dental malpractice prevalence was high in the private sector, followed by the government and military sectors, with the highest number of cases registered against the prosthodontic specialty. Dental malpractice is a serious concern that can be prevented by fair and honest policies and thorough patient education.

Keywords: Dental; health care; informed consent; malpractice; private practice.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentage distribution of cases according to the speciality
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alanazi M, Alamry A, Hussein M, Alanazi M. Canonical correlation between safety culture and quality of healthcare in Saudi Arabia. Glob Adv Res J Med Med Sci. 2015;4:402–7.
    1. Gambhir RS, Dhaliwal JS, Anand S, Bhardwaj A. Knowledge and awareness of consumer protection act among private dentists in Tricity, Punjab. J Family Med Prim Care. 2015;4:347–51. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lazăr AC, Buhăţel D, Mureşan O, Todor L, Păcurar M. Legal approach regarding dental malpractice in Romania. Rom J Morphol Embryol. 2021;62:319–23. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ozdemir MH, Saracoglu A, Ozdemir AU, Ergonen AT. Dental malpractice cases in Turkey during 1991-2000. J Clin Forensic Med. 2005;12:137–42. - PubMed
    1. Vanderheyden LC, Northcott HC, Adair CE, McBrien-Morrison C, Meadows LM, Norton P, et al. Reports of preventable medical errors from the Alberta Patient Safety Survey 2004. Healthcare quarterly (Toronto, Ont) 2005;8:107–14. - PubMed