Lessons learned: reacting, rebounding and recovering from dental clinical failures

Dental professionals all endeavour to provide their patients with the best possible care, utilising their skills, knowledge and experience to ensure positive results. Nevertheless, despite their best efforts, dental clinical failures can occur, leaving the patient and dentist to deal with the repercussions. In this article, we will discuss how to react, regroup and recover from dental clinical failures, drawing from strategies for dealing with the aftermath and learning from these experiences. A proactive and compassionate approach is necessary when addressing dental clinical failures. It is essential to acknowledge and address the situation promptly and professionally. The first stage is to communicate openly and honestly with the patient, providing a detailed explanation of what went wrong, accepting responsibility for the failure, and expressing genuine compassion for the patient’s concerns and emotions. Dentists should also engage in self-reflection and self-evaluation, conducting an objective analysis of the failure and determining its fundamental cause. Colleagues, mentors and professional organisations can provide valuable insight and direction when consulted.