Wachusett Annual Meeting & CE Presentation
Thursday, May 21, 2026, 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Oak Hill Country Club, 840 Oak Hill Rd, Fitchburg, MA 01420
Stay Sharp; Stay Safe: Preventing Dental Malpractice Claims
Program Description
This course will teach, by examining actual dentist professional liability claims, how risk management is a vital tool in reducing your malpractice exposures. We will examine claims involving failure to meet the standard of care, failure to keep appropriate records, and failure to obtain informed consent. By learning risk management best practices, you are doing your best to reduce the risk of litigation and to establish a more defensible position should litigation occur.
Learning Objectives
- Learn what constitutes the standard of care and how to meet it in your dental practice.
- Develop a plan for responding to negative outcomes such as a paresthesia injury, an infection, or a failed implant.
- Learn how strong recordkeeping helps you provide appropriate care and helps you defend your care in the event of a claim.
- Learn what constitutes proper informed consent and informed refusal.
- Understand why thorough and timely documentation is so crucial to risk management.
- Develop methods for communicating effectively with patients, staff, and specialists, including closing the loop on referrals.
- Understand how risk management principles can make patient care safer.
Register
To RSVP for this complimentary event, email Dr. Lindsay Bruneau at lindsaybruneau@yahoo.com.
Speaker Bio
Katherine A. Panikian, JD, CPCU, ARM
Chief Risk Officer, EDIC
Ms. Panikian has been in the risk management and insurance field for over fifteen years. Prior to joining EDIC, Ms. Panikian was the Risk Manager for the Municipality of Anchorage and the Editor of The John Liner Letter, a prominent risk management publication. Ms. Panikian is a licensed attorney in Massachusetts and Maryland and has achieved the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) certification and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation from The Institutes. She graduated from William and Mary School of Law in 2006