THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DENTAL SURGEON'S INEXPERIENCE AND NEGLIGENCE AND THE FAILURE RATES OF DENTAL TREATMENTS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Professional practice in healthcare requires technical knowledge, responsibility, ethics, and a commitment to patient safety. In this context, the concepts of negligence and malpractice are fundamental, as they involve inappropriate conduct that may compromise the physical and emotional integrity of patients. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between dental malpractice and negligence and the failure rates in dental treatments. METHODS: This is a literature review, including articles published in the last five years through searches in the BVS, PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, Cochrane Library databases, and in the RBOL and ANIMA journals. The descriptors “Malpractice” and “Dentists” were used, combined with the boolean operator “AND.” Articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded. RESULTS: The analysis revealed that dentists may be held accountable for various types of fault, particularly malpractice and negligence in clinical procedures. The most common failures included omissions in clinical records, lack of hygiene, inexperience in technique execution, legal unawareness, ineffective communication with patients, and failure to provide adequate explanations about procedures. A high incidence of legal disputes was observed, with court rulings predominantly favoring patients over dental professionals in cases involving negligence and malpractice. CONCLUSION: Ethical and responsible dental practice requires the adoption of measures such as the use of the Informed Consent Form (ICF), thorough knowledge of regulatory standards, and effective communication with patients. The recurrence of failures highlights the need for strong academic training and continuous education. Therefore, investment in technical training, regulatory updates, and communication skills development is essential to ensure patient safety and uphold the integrity of dental practice.