Complaint and disciplinary systems in dentistry in Sweden: a presentation and discussion of their efficacy in preventing malpractice.

The Swedish systems for complaints and supervision with many possibilities of claiming on different levels may lead to prevention of future problems in medical and dental care. The systems are corrective, preventive and compensatory, and are important in the process of quality assurance. However, some elements need improvement. The present paper gives as a background an overview of the Swedish systems and discusses a few cases. Comparisons with systems in other countries, especially the USA, are made, and new measures are discussed. There is a need for smooth, preventive measures as well as strong, punitive and corrective measures. Recidivist doctors/dentists must be stopped.