Accreditation of Australian dental practices: Does the low number of reported breaches of patient safety justify the rejection of accreditation?

Abstract

Here, our current knowledge of the occurrence of errors during dental treatment in Australia, and whether the Australian National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (Standards) are likely to have an impact in reducing the incidence of errors, is examined. This article is the first critical evaluation of the Standards as they apply to private dental practice in Australia, and therefore contributes to the building of an accreditation scheme that will improve dental patient safety.