The Trust has been experiencing some significant cases involving cosmetic dentistry. When coupled with the tremendous emphasis in all phases of the media on looking good and dental cosmetics, an attempt to educate our participants on managing these cases has become of primary importance in order to reduce patient incidents and claims.

Enclosed are important educational tools for your use in the evaluation and management of patients seeking Cosmetic Dentistry / Cosmetic Reconstruction. You are asked to read this information carefully and incorporate it into your practice, where appropriate.

The Quality Assurance Guidelines will assist you in the steps to manage the case from start to finish.

The Patient Expectations Questionnaire will help you evaluate the patient and decide if you wish to proceed further. Coupled with the dental/medical history, there should be sufficient information for you to make that informed decision. If a patient has expectations you may not be able to meet, it behooves you to recognize that and not begin a case. This is a critical step at the beginning of the process.

A sample Consent Form is included and can be used to complete the informed consent process. The Form or a reasonable equivalent is strongly recommended to be used in these cases. Although, it will take some time, the process will help avoid problems further along in treatment and possibly even litigation.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this important subject and your efforts to practice good risk management.

This site is not intended as a source of legal advice.

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the forms.

If you would like a complete set of guidelines please contact us by email at denver@berkleyrisk.com