Insights Sectors: Dental

The use and licensing of radiology equipment in South Australia is controlled and managed by the South Australia Environment Protection Authority (EPA), which administers the Radiation Protection and Control Act 1982 and the Radiation Protection and Control (Ionising Radiation) Regulations 2015. The EPA’s Radiation Protection Branch deals with radiology equipment within healthcare, which includes regulating […]

In this case, the Dental Board of Australia conducted an investigation after a patient notified the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), alleging over-diagnosis by a dental practitioner. The key facts: A patient presented in 2015 for extraction of a heavily filled tooth which was now fractured and un-restorable. The tooth was extracted simply and without […]

A dental scenario: A dental assistant, at the dentist’s direction, supplied an anxious patient with Serepax (oxazepam) prior to surgical extraction of a tooth. An entry was made in the electronic records that Serapax had been given including details of date and time the medication was provided. However, the dental assistant who entered the notes […]

Dental scenario: A patient raised concerns about his smile during a routine consultation with his general dentist. He wanted to improve the alignment of his front teeth and to have his upper central incisors moved inwards. He had seen advertising regarding some proprietary fast-tracked orthodontic treatments and enquired about options. The practitioner discussed the option […]

When a patient sues a dentist alleging negligence it is the role of the court to weigh up the evidence and then make a determination – unless the parties resolve the dispute otherwise. This involves making findings of fact (e.g. the dentist did not perform an x-ray before proceeding with treatment) and then applying the […]

You need to consider a number of fundamental matters before purchasing a professional practice – we discussed these in our “Basic Fundamentals” article (published in NSW Dentist, April 2004). Before taking the plunge to buy into or sell a dental practice, there are many additional issues that you should think about, which are discussed in […]

As of 12 March 2014, significant changes to the credit reporting regime under the Privacy Act 1998 (Cth) will impact on how dentists handle patients’ credit related information [1]. Are dentists credit providers? Do you provide credit in full or in part for at least seven days? Do you offer structured payment plans for your […]

If you are thinking about purchasing a professional services practice, whether it be a dentistry practice or other, there are a number of important matters to consider. In advising prospective purchasers, we sometimes see prospective purchasers get carried away with the idea of owning their own practice but do not properly consider some fundamental business […]

From years of experience, we know that concerns over business leases can be the greatest and most frequent worry faced by our clients. It’s surprising how often clients come to us with serious worries over whether their lease will be renewed by the landlord. Many of these worries could be avoided if the end of […]

Finally, some good news on the Medicare dental audits. In recent developments, several ADA branch members received letters from the Department of Human Services (DHS) announcing full waivers of alleged debts arising from claims under the Medicare Chronic Disease Dental Scheme (CDDS) before 1 April 2010. This follows the announcement by former Minister Kerr on […]