Objectives: Doctors can face punitive and legal consequences if patients are not satisfied with the medical treatment. The purpose of this study is to provide a database for dental malpractice cases in Turkey.
Methods: This study is based on the decisions of High Health Council (HHC) in medical malpractice cases. Between 1991 and 2000, 1548 decisions were made by the HHC. 14 (0.9%) of these decisions were related to dentistry. This study examines the 8 decisions under which the dentists are found to be at fault.
Results: As three of these cases are based on the same facts they are examined together. Of the dentists consulted on 11 decisions, nine were male and two were female. In four cases the HHC gave its expert opinion before the trial, in five cases during criminal trial and in two cases during compensation trial. In five cases patients received surgical treatment, in four cases prosthetic treatment and in two cases endodontic treatment. Nine of these treatments were carried out at private dental practice. In eight reported decisions negligence and inadequate treatment were identified. Most of negligence was caused during surgical intervention. In two cases, treatments resulted in death.
Conclusions: Like all other medical staff dentists are under the obligation to comply with the legal rules in the country they practice. They also have to consider ethical principles as well as the acceptable standards and protocols of diagnosis and treatment.