A dig into the Dental Complaints Service (DCS) Review 2023-2024 offers a more reassuring message for the profession than its headline figures suggest, with most complaints not about clinical failure.
While the report recorded a record 4,732 enquiries in 2024, the DCS is clear that misaligned expectations between clinician and patient remain the dominant cause. The report states: ‘Dental professionals should clearly record their recommendation, and what the patient’s expectations are, before treatment takes place’.
Expectation management is where complaints begin
The DCS also identified communication as the point where many cases start to unravel, long before a formal complaint is ever raised. Local resolution rates dropped to 64% in 2024, down from 69% the previous year, with this decline a direct result of communication breakdowns.
For an industry under pressure and battling negative media narratives, dental practice communication is a challenge but the financial consequences are significant. Refunds totalled £673,500 in 2024, up from £400,500 in 2023. The DCS report is explicit that many of these cases were avoidable with clearer consent discussions, better expectation-setting and stronger documentation from the outset.
Where complaints are concentrating
Implants, dentures and orthodontics dominate the complaints data. These long-journey treatments are where patients are more likely to feel uninformed about realistic outcomes, maintenance requirements and the possibility of follow-up work. The DCS clearly state this is not a clinical standards problem.
What dental practices should do differently
The DCS also identifies some clear areas where dental practice communication can improve. Document consent and treatment expectations contemporaneously. Engage early when concerns arise rather than waiting for formal escalation. Respond personally rather than defensively. Some 64% of complainants contact practices by phone, confirming that patients want human reassurance when something goes wrong.
The stakes for not acting are also spelled out plainly. The DCS warns that: ‘not engaging with issues raised can lead to simple complaints becoming fitness to practise issues and result in a referral to the GDC.’
Dental professionals are encouraged to contact their indemnifier for advice and to engage with the DCS to support local resolution wherever possible.
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