Developing a Culture of Patient Safety in Dentistry and Why It Matters

Session Description: Patient safety is of paramount importance in dental practice. Too often dental healthcare providers are unaware of risks that can impact the well-being, safety, and lives of patients. Dentistry is approximately 30 years behind medicine in addressing patient safety that is not necessarily related to sedation and/or general anesthesia. During this seminar various key pillars necessary to create a culture of patient safety will be discussed. These key pillars to create a culture of patient safety include, but are not limited to the importance of standard operating procedures, intra and inter office communication, transparency, sharing adverse events, storytelling, risk management, and implementation of best practices to avoid patient harm events. Real life incidents will be presented. In August of 2024, over 100 dental professionals in New Jersey were surveyed about their knowledge and attitude on dental patient safety. The result of this study will be shared with the audience.