Professional liability: assessment of court sentences for lawsuits against dentists in Peru

INTRODUCTION: The number of reported dental malpractice cases has increased in recent years. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of Peruvian court sentences related to dental procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present descriptive study, 33 sentences issued by the civil court of Peru, from 2011 to 2016 were collected. Useful information from the sentences was extracted and analyzed using the SPSS 18 software. RESULTS: Data showed that dentists were found guilty in 84.8% of sentences due to absence of suitability in dental treatment. Male dentists (61.1%) were involved in more cases than female dentists. Prosthodontics (33.3%) was the dental specialty subject to most claims. CONCLUSIONS: Dentists like other health professionals are regulated by legal rules in the country they practise. As part of dental practice and in order to avoid claims, having a full clinical history and informed consent should be mandatory.