Civil Liability of Dental Surgeon: Legal Proceedings Analysis in the City of Ribeirao Preto, São Paulo State, Brazil

Andrea Sayuri Silveira Dias Terada; Laís Gomes de Araujo; Marta Regina Pinheiro Flores & Ricardo Henrique Alves da Silva

Summary

The objective of this study was to conduct a review of the legal proceedings involving liability lawsuits filed against dentists in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. A search was carried out of professionals duly registered with the Regional Council of Dentistry of São Paulo seeking professionals and clinics involved in civil proceedings in Ribeirão Preto - São Paulo. The results noted a significant increase (73.3%) in the number of lawsuits filed in the last five years, with the specialty in dental prostheses (35.6%) being the most frequent. It can be concluded that it is important for professionals to have information in reference to the increasing number of lawsuits in professional/patient relationship and that prevention measures are necessary for a safer dental practice.

KEY WORDS: dental surgeons, legal dentistry, civil responsibility, proceedings.

How to cite this article

TERADA, A. S. S. D.; DE ARAUJO, L. G.; FLORES, M. R. P. & DA SILVA, R. H. A. Civil liability of dental surgeons: legal proceedings analysis in the city of Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Int. J. Odontostomat., 8(3):359-364, 2014.