La responsabilità professionale in odontoiatria: analisi di una casistica interdipartimentale

OBJECTIVES. The increase in charges for professional malpractice in health care, as well as the diffusion of data concern- ing a different percentage distribution of dental sectors involved in legal disputes, led the authors to conduct a cognitive analysis of the phenomenon through the study of inter-departmental cases of proven dental malpractice in civil law. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A poli-parametric descriptive analysis was con- ducted on a sample of 436 cases of proven dental malpractice promoted by subjects aged between 14 and 70. RESULTS. In dentistry, most techni- cal-deontological errors are to be found in the area of prosthetics and implant prosthetics, followed by endodontics and orthodontics. In the majority of cas- es the lack of health records describing the patient’s previous status and the ab- sence of an informed consent to dental treatment were ascertained. The dam- age involved more frequently dental structures, resulting in permanent damage to person < 4 in more than two-thirds of cases, with consequential loss mostly amounting to (97%) < 30,000 euro and often to (62%) < 15,000 euro. In most cases a culpable and unskillful conduct was recognized, followed by imprudence and negligence. CONCLUSIONS. The authors propose to establish a set of behavioral guidelines with an aim to reducing possible charges for professional malpractice, or at least, to substantiating a correct technical- deontological practice.