New Dentists’ Fear Confrontation and Complaints
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- Published: Thursday, 25 August 2022 07:36
- Written by Guy Tuggle
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The fear of mistakes, confrontation and complaints top the list of worries for early career dentists according to a new survey by Dental Protection.
25% of respondents confessed their greatest worry was patient complaints about them following treatment whilst 17% said their greatest fear was confrontation or disagreement with a patient during the delivery of the treatment.
Dental patients are renowned for their anxiety, some research indicating that up to 80% of patients entering a dental practice harbour at least some feelings of anxiety whilst as every clinician knows, a hard-core experience outright fear and loathing of dental visits.
Dental Protection’s snapshot survey sought feedback from dentists who had qualified in the last five years. 42% admitted they worried most about making mistakes and how this could play out.
The top 10 worries for early career dentists are:
- Making a mistake – 42%
- Complaints directly from patients after treatment - 25%
- Confrontation of disagreement with patients during treatment – 17%
- The impact of Covid-a9 on financial security – 17%
- The impact of Covid-a9 on mental wellbeing – 16%
- Their career choice – 16%
- A clinical negligence claim being brought against them – 14%
- A GDC investigation into their practise – 13%
- Negative media coverage or reputational damage following a case or claim – 9%
- Disagreements with colleagues – 8%
George Wright, Deputy Dental Director at Dental Protection said that fear of making mistakes had always topped the list of worries as “nobody wants to feel responsible for causing harm to a patient”.
Acknowledging the widely reported challenges facing dentistry in the wake of the Covid pandemic, Mr Wright said that effective handling of complaints was of ever-increasing importance. The pandemic had lengthened waiting lists for regular attenders and poured petrol on the access crisis that pre-dated it, especially for high-needs patients
“Handling complaints after treatment or disagreements during treatment can be extremely challenging for any dental professional, however, we understand that for those starting out in dentistry, the ongoing ‘firefighting’ reality may be particularly stressful”.
To assist members in distress, Dental Protection offers free access to an independent and professional counselling service which is available 24 hours a day.
Dental Protection’s snapshot survey ran from 18th November 2021 to 4th December and achieved 121 responses from dentists in the UK up to 5 years post-qualification.
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