Retrospective Evaluation of Common Dentistry Errors in Selected Dental Clinics of the Armed Forces, Iran

The occurrence of errors in dental practice is an inevitable factor resulting in a reduction in the quality of medical services. These errors can prompt adverse complications, weaken the patient's trust in the dentist, and induce financial losses to the health care system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the common overt and covert errors that can be detected from medical records in selected clinics of the Armed Forces, Iran.

In this study, we evaluated 3248 dental records, documented in seven selected dental clinics of the Armed Forces, Iran. The dental files were reviewed to detect flaws in the process of documentation, treatment protocols, and results. The patient and practitioner demographics were also extracted for further statistical analyses.

Among the studied documents, 14% of the dental records were incomplete and 17% of dental treatments showed at least one deviation from the standard treatment protocols. Also, there was a significant relationship between the occurrence of these errors and some demographic variables such as the dentist’s age, academic degree, and work experience. The prevalence of dental errors was 14%, 20%, and 30% in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-grade dental clinics, respectively.

Deficiencies in completing medical records and errors in the treatment process are common in Armed Forces clinics, Iran. Many of these errors can be identified through periodic evaluations and review of medical records to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.