Dental Malpractice in Oral Surgery, Endodontics, Prosthodontics, and Restorative Dentistry: The Prevalence in Saudi Arabia

Aim: The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of dental malpractice in the fields of oral surgery,
endodontics, prosthodontics (crowns and bridges), and restorative dentistry in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia.
Materials and Methods: 378 patients aged ≥ 18 years were randomly selected and clinically examined for
substandard dental treatments done in dental premises (hospitals, polyclinics, private clinics) in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted in the period July through September 2018. Each
patient was clinically examined in the following fields: Prosthodontics (substandard crown and bridge
placement in relation to tooth preparation and crown adaptation, PFM crown and bridge placement on
feather edge finishing line, substandard post and core), endodontics (substandard root canal treatment),
restorative dentistry (overhanging restorations: class II, III, IV, V), and oral surgery (dry socket due to
traumatic prolonged tooth extraction and/or a fractured tooth part left in the socket. In addition to clinical
examination, radiographs were also used. The results were documented in a patient examination form then
statistically analyzed using Chi-Square Test.
Results: There was a significant difference in the percentages of dental malpractice (endodontics,
restorative dentistry, prosthodontics, oral surgery) p = 0.000 < 0.05. Therefore, endodontics malpractice
was the first 42.5%, restorative dentistry malpractice was the second 28.4%, prosthodontics malpractice
was the third 26.4%, and oral surgery malpractice was the fourth 2.7%.
Conclusion: Dentists must consider ethical principles and acceptable standards and protocols of diagnosis
and treatment. They also have an ethical responsibility to limit their extent and scope of practice to their
level of professional experience in oral surgery. There is high need for improving the technical skills of
practitioners in root canal treatments. Also, stressing on using wedges with matrices to avoid overhanging
dental restorations is advised. Differences between societies might play a role in the lower percentages of
prosthodontics malpractice in KSA.