What to do if you are not satisfied with your dental care
Your dental practitioner is there to help you maintain good oral health and address any dental concerns you may have. Unfortunately, like all health care procedures, there is some risk associated with dental treatment and finding the right dental practitioner can be a very personal thing. If you have attended a dental practice and were not happy with the care you provided, you may not know what to do next. Below is some general advice that may assist you in having your concerns resolved:
Speak to the dentist
If you have concerns about your treatment, the first step is usually to speak directly to the dental practitioner who provided you with dental care. This is usually the quickest, most effective and least stressful way of resolving concerns. Your dental practitioner will be happy to answer any questions you may have and work with you to have any concerns resolved.
Put your questions or concerns in writing
If you are not comfortable with speaking with your dental practitioner or it is more convenient, put your concerns in writing. Email is ideal because it allows you to take your time to summarise what you want to say. Although you may not get an answer as quickly as in a verbal conversation, your dental practitioner will likely be able to give a detailed response and you will have this in writing to refer back to if required.
You might consider getting a friend or family member to review the email before you send it, to ensure it makes sense and clearly identifies your questions or concerns. Try to make it as easy as possible for the dentist to understand the problem and your desired resolution.
Be as specific as possible
Be as specific as possible. Remember to include your name and contact details, as well as details about the treatment, the date of treatment and what your question or concern is. If you know what resolution you’d like and how you’d like to reach it, include that, too.
Ask questions
It’s possible that part of your concern could be resolved clarifying a misunderstanding, so be sure to ask questions if you’re not sure of anything.
If you get a response and you’re still not sure of the outcome, its appropriate to ask for more clarification. Being on the same page as your dental practitioner is an effective way of resolving questions or concerns in an effective and timely manner.
Seek external help
If your attempts to resolve your questions or concerns have been unsuccessful, you may consider seeking external advice and/or assistance. Independent legal advice or contact with the relevant regulatory body may be required, depending on your questions, concerns and desired outcome to resolve the matter.
The Australian Dental Association (QLD) is a professional association and not a regulatory body. ADAQ actively seeks to engage with Members and the public to be the preferred and trusted source of knowledge and information about oral health and clinical practice. Where possible, we can provide general advice to patients who feel they have been unable to resolve their questions or concerns with their dental practitioner. This may involve us contacting the dentist on your behalf or providing further information.
If you feel ADAQ can be of assistance, please get in touch with your contact details and a brief summary of your question or concern at [email protected]. A representative from the ADAQ Compliance & Advisory Services team will be in touch with you within 3 business days.