… may help improve patient safety . … Yansane A, Tokede O, Walji M, et al. Burnout, engagement, and dental errors among …

Patient safety events are common in dentistry. A survey administered to adult dental patients found that a majority of them were concerned about their safety at the dental office but that those concerns were not routinely shared with dental providers or clinic staff. Efforts to improve patient engagement and speaking up behaviors can improve safety in dentistry.

This interview study examined 10 dental faculty members' perceptions of diagnostic error. Varying definitions of diagnostic errors and a range of prevention strategies emerged, including taking more time for diagnosis and enhancing communication among dental providers.

In this study, researchers developed and tested classification schemes for types and severity of adverse events in dentistry using medical record review and expert consensus. Pain and infection were the most common types of adverse events in the cases reviewed.

Researchers administered the AHRQ Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture at three dental schools in the United States and determined that safety culture in dentistry is lacking. A past AHRQ WebM&M commentary describes a wrong-site dental surgery and recommends strategies to reduce risk of errors in this setting.

Little is currently known about the types of safety issues in dental care. This study reports on the development of a novel trigger tool for identifying preventable errors in dentistry.

This commentary describes how patient safety concepts, such as root cause analysis, safety culture, and health care failure mode and effect analysis, can enhance safety in dental care.