10 Commandments for Staying Out of Trouble – PDP131

How often do you review your risk management? Do you follow the appropriate radiography guidelines or palpate canines when you are supposed to? These are not the exhilarating or rewarding parts of our clinical practice but they are fundamental and foundational.

In this episode with Dr. Lucy Nichols, a general dentist who also does some dento-legal work in the UK, she shares her 10 commandments for safer dentistry and avoiding dento-legal claims.

Protrusive Dental Pearl: ‘I don’t have time’ is just not true. It’s a lie we tell ourselves. We should reframe it. Instead, we should say “I’m not making [task / activity / necessity] a PRIORITY in my life right now”. We should reflect on what are we making a priority in our lives right now.

Highlights of this episode:

• 1:17 Protrusive Dental Pearl
• 4:33 Dr. Lucy Nichols’ Introduction
• 8:08 10 Commandments for Staying Out of Trouble:

1. Thou Shalt Take Bitewings on Children 9:08
2. Thou Shalt take Bitewings on Adults 13:31
3. Thou Shalt Always be Suspicious of a Non-healing socket 15:29 
4. Thou Shalt Always be Suspicious of Sore Patches on the Side of the Tongue or on the Cheek 18:21
5. Thou Shalt Know How to Deal with a Hypochlorite Injury 21:24
6. Thou Shalt Not Use Chlorhexidine Mouthwash as your Root Canal Irrigant 30:34
7. Thou Shalt do Further Charting when you have 3s and 4s on your BPE 35:06
8. Thou Shalt Not Rely on Only a Single Visit Scaling without Local Anaesthetic on Patients with Increased Pocketing 40:42
9. Thou Shalt Not Underestimate ID Nerve Injuries 45:29
10. Thou Shalt Always Palpate for Canines at Age 10 53:39

PDF Infographic available in the ‘Protrusive Vault’ in the App (iOS and Android)

Check out Dr. Lucy Nichols website

If you loved this episode, please check out Passion and Values in Dentistry