title: A new perspective on dental malpractice: practice enhancement through risk management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Risk management in dentistry has been developed over the years by concentrating on recording treatment in dental records and informing patients of the proposed treatment before treating them. This article advances the concept of risk management through higher involvement of the entire office staff by increasing communication with patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By integrating practice management concepts with risk management techniques, dentists can reduce risk management exposure and improve patients' awareness, understanding and follow-through on the treatment of their dental needs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Practice enhancement through risk management not only improves patient care and reduces risk exposure, but it also brings the dental team together in an effort to improve patient care. In this way, the office will have improved patient acceptance of proposed dental care and an increase in office growth.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York at Stony Brook, School of Dental Medicine, USA. JPGraskemperddsjd@dellepro.com
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Graskemper
mesh_terms: D003792:Dental Records; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008318:Malpractice; D010358:Patient Participation; D011215:Practice Management, Dental / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012308:Risk Management; D009626:Terminology as Topic