Dental Protection Australia

Join Dr Annalene Weston, Senior Dentolegal consultant at Dental Protection and Case Manger Kristin Trafford Wiezel as they consider that point in time when a patient moves from being a disgruntled patient to a complainant. In this episode Kristin and Annalene discuss a case that highlights the difficulties encountered by practitioners when dealing with complaints, acknowledging that at times these...

Join Case Manager Anita Kemp and Dr Annalene Weston, Senior Dentolegal Consultant at Dental Protection as they discuss some of the reasons that can sit behind a complaint. You may be surprised to hear that it is not always related to treatment. Listen in as Anita and Annalene talk through a case, where the issues that led to a complaint were instigated before the practitioner even met the patients...

Join Case Manager Kristin Trafford Wiezel and Dr Annalene Weston, Senior Dentolegal Consultant at Dental Protection, as they consider an allegation of treatment without consent through the lens of two cases from the Dental Protection Vault. Listen in as Kristin and Annalene identify and explore the tipping point in both cases – a moment in time when a patient moves from being a disgruntled patient...

Join Dr Annalene Weston, Senior Dentolegal Consultant at Dental Protection, and Oral Medicine Specialist and Expert Dr Amanda Phoon Nguyen for an in-depth Q&A discussion about ‘The changing face of oral cancer’. Listen in as Annalene and Amanda discuss the aetiology of oral cancer, patient demographics and risk factors and red flags. Additionally highlighting the necessity for routine oral can...

Not only is patient autonomy one of the four underpinning principles of medical ethics, but it is also a vital component of the consent process and patient care. Gone are the days of paternalism but can patient autonomy go too far. In this episode of RiskBites, Dr Kiran Keshwara and Dr Annalene Weston speak about our patient’s ability to choose or refuse treatment, based on the treatment options p...

Where does imaging sit in managing our risk? In our next episode of RiskBites, Dr Annalene Weston and Dr Kiran Keshwara from Dental Protection discuss the place of imaging in dentistry. Images, whether they are x-rays, photos or digital scans, make an important part of the patient records and should be considered to be a useful adjunct to our written records. Listen to find out more about this key...

In the next episode of RiskBites; ’The view from the other side’ Dr Colm Harney shares insight into why some patients complain and claim, when something unexpected happens and why some patients do not. Dr Annalene Weston and Dr Harney discuss the importance of being able to recognise and acknowledge our patient’s viewpoint. Highlighting the key role that patient experience, perception, rapport, an...

Did you know that all CaseMatters titles are genuine quotes from patient complaints that Dental Protection have assisted members with across the globe? The title of this CaseMatters podcast is “You have led me down a path that has cost me great expense” which involves a smile reconstruction package, a payment plan, and regrettably an unhappy patient and complaint. Many parties became involved in t...

What's resilience? Is this something that you need to be thinking about right now? And what are the potential detrimental effects for you and your patients if you don't? Join Dr Annalene Weston as she discusses this and more with Dr Dan Pronk practising physician, previous Australia Special Air Services (SAS) doctor, and Co-Founder of the Resilience Shield. What lessons can the SAS teach us about...

As Dr Mike Rutherford moves to retirement, he shares some key learnings from his career in dentistry, and its many iterations with Dr Annalene Weston. Not only does this podcast explore the evolution of dentistry but also considers where a dental degree can take you and the challenges and opportunities this affords.

Join Dr Mike Rutherford, Dentolegal Consultant at Dental Protection, and dental expert Dr Greg Mahoney for an in-depth Q&A discussion about the pertinent topic Dental Sedation, its use and possible complications. Dr Greg Mahoney is a practising dentist with an academic interest in anxiolysis and sedation in the dental setting. In this podcast, titled ‘I Wanna Be Sedated’ Mike and Greg provide...

Join Dr Mike Rutherford, Dentolegal Consultant at Dental Protection, and dental expert Dr Greg Mahoney for an in-depth Q&A discussion about the pertinent topic of Local Anaesthetic, its use and possible complications. Dr Greg Mahoney is a practising dentist with an academic interest in pain control and local anaesthetic. In this podcast, titled ‘Comfortably Numb – Local Anaesthetic and You’, M...

Take a moment to cast your mind back to an occasion where you have felt invalidated or dismissed. Feeling understood or heard is a powerful experience and effective communication skills such as validating a person’s feelings or concerns can strengthen the therapeutic relationship and build trust with our patients. Find out more in the next episode of RiskBites ‘Dismissing the disgruntled’.

Our latest RiskBites podcast episode will roadmap the fundamental requirements of successful record keeping. The who, what, when, where, and why. Listen in as Dr Annalene Weston, Dentolegal Consultant and Mrs Kristin Trafford-Wiezel, Case Manager at Dental Protection explore this topic, offer valuable insight, and share a template for success in record keeping.

The next episode of RiskBites, is a case study example: Frogs into Princes – Techniques to Build Trust, which highlights the key elements required to build a positive dentist-patient relationship. A classic study into health-care research shows that good communication between dentists and patients can lead to less post-operative pain, less medication and earlier recovery. Listen in to find out mor...

Often we find ourselves reviewing claim after claim without a trace of kindness or empathy being found. In this episode of RiskBites, we talk about the role of kindness in risk management, the benefits of staying connected to our patients in times of distress and outline 4 pillars of kindness to help prop up our practice. Listen in to our podcast ‘Nice guys finish last’ to find out more.

Join Dr Annalene Weston and Dr Mike Rutherford, Dentolegal Consultants at Dental Protection for an in-depth discussion around the key topic of contemporary wisdom tooth risks. Claims and cases related to wisdom teeth have recently significantly increased, and our team of industry professionals will guide you through the common issues we see in those matters and provide useful recommendations to he...

Join Dr Annalene Weston, Dentolegal Consultant and Mrs Helen Harbourne, In-house Lawyer at Dental Protection for the next RiskBites episode. This edition covers the topic of ‘A report has been requested for me – what do I write?’, in which our team of industry experts provide guidance and advice for dental practitioners. Listen in to find out more.

With 20:20 hindsight we often realise all too late when we should have referred a patient instead of treating them ourselves. Even with the utmost best intentions, things can still go horribly wrong. In this episode ‘When should I call it quits and refer?’, Dr Annalene Weston and Dr Simon Parsons discuss previous experiences and outline common factors in those incidents.

Join Dr Annalene Weston, Dentolegal Consultant and Mrs Kristin Trafford-Wiezel, Case Manager from Dental Protection to discuss a comprehensive document available for dental practitioners, the Code of Conduct. This useful resource provides guidance and support around best practice for professionalism in the workplace derived from 11 key principles. Listen to this episode to find out about these pri...

As clinicians we pride ourselves on providing the best level of care for our patients. We hold ourselves to such as high standard that any suggestion of failing can feel like an attack. That’s why we take it so personally if we receive a complaint. Listen in to this insightful podcast ‘Why does it hurt so much – the defendant’s perspective’, hosted by Dr Kiran Keshwara and Dr Annalene Weston for u...

Join Dental Protection’s Dentolegal Consultant, Dr Annalene Weston and in-house lawyer Ms Helen Harbourne as they cover the topic of ‘I’m being sued – what happens next?’. This informative discussion will explain what happens if we get sued and where to begin with defending yourself. Listen in to gain a greater understanding of the next best steps in these stressful situations and hopefully ease f...

Join Dr Annalene Weston, Dentolegal Consultant at Dental Protection while she talks through the common legal risks and issues impacting contemporary practitioners with Barrister and former Dental Practitioner, Mr Brad Wright. Listen in to hear useful tips and advice around handling complaints, infection control, provider numbers, workplace protocols and other key areas. 1.10 – Records and radiogra...

Join Dr Annalene Weston and Dr Kiran Keshwara in our next episode of RiskBites to explore the concept of hero-dontics so when a patient asks for a particular treatment and we agree in good faith, oftentimes against our better judgement. In other words, it could be said we’re playing the hero. Listen to this podcast to find out the risks involved and the potential consequences of saying yes.

What is the power of an apology? Apologies can have positive effects on maintaining a future therapeutic relationship, help to restore trust, reduce negative emotional reactions such as anger and even induce positive physiological responses for the patient and practitioner. This podcast covers what to say and what not to say in an apology as well as examples of effective apologies.