Malpractice reports in prosthodontics in Sweden.

Prosthodontics is the branch most often involved in dental malpractice cases in Sweden. The number of cases has increased with the growing production of fixed prosthodontics after the introduction of the National Dental Insurance Scheme and the increase in the number of dentists. Prosthodontic treatment accounted for one-third of the working hours of private practitioners but two-thirds of the sanctions during the period 1974-78. The patients' complaints are often justified in some parts. The most common faults are elementary and have been similar throughout the whole period 1947-1988. Bridges (2-4 units), complete dentures and single crowns are the constructions most often involved in complaints. The maxillary frontal and premolar regions are in this order the regions most often involved. There are no differences between different age groups of dentists concerning the quantity of faults, but there is probably concerning the quality of faults because older dentists get more severe sanctions than younger.