Mr C complained about the care he received from the Practice. Mr C said that the Practice failed to discuss his treatment with him in detail or tell him that the person who would carry out the treatment would be a dental therapist, rather than a dentist. Mr C also complained that the Dental Therapist used amalgam (a mixture of metals) in the filling, to which he did not consent, and that he was unhappy with the quality of the work she performed.
The Ombudsman found that Mr C had received a response to his complaint from the Dental Therapist who carried out his treatment. However, he had not received a formal response from the Practice. As a result, the Practice had not addressed Mr C’s complaint fully.
The Practice agreed to provide a formal and final complaint response to Mr C, addressing his concern that treatment was performed without his informed consent. This would include whether it was the responsibility of the Dentist who prescribed his treatment or the Dental Therapist who carried it out, and whether appropriate informed consent was documented. It also agreed to offer Mr C an appointment for him to have his tooth reviewed. The Practice agreed to do this within 1 month of the Ombudsman’s decision.
