Adverse Actions and Malpractice Payments in Dentistry in the State of Michigan

Objective: Current practicing dentists in Michigan may not be well versed with the topic of adverse actions taken by the Michigan Dental Board and malpractice claims against dental practitioners. This research reviews these topics more carefully ultimately aiming to better dentistry. Method: The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) provides publicly available information which assists in analysing current trends in adverse actions and malpractice payment reports in the state of Michigan. Data was extracted for the period between 1990 to 2022, and visualizations were developed to identify trends. Results: NPDB data inferred that there has been a decline in the number of malpractice payment reports over the past three decades, but adverse actions have a fluctuating trend in recent years. The loss or revoking of licensure being the most common adverse action taken. Furthermore only 32.65% cases out of these licensure loss cases were reinstated. Conclusion: There is a need for intervention with regard to the adverse action reports, which have been fluctuating but largely trending upwards since 2002, as they are detrimental to the successful growth of the dental profession as a whole. The goal of this project is to emphasize the necessity of evidence-based dentistry in practice. Dentists must understand the need to prevent the rise in malpractice trends and strive to deliver the best possible care.