In contrast to the law governing complaints and to disciplinary law, a civil law judge can sentence dentists to the restoration of all damages to patients. For this to happen, there has to be evidence of damage, responsibility and a causal connection. For the assumption of responsibility as well as a causal connection, an important question is whether a dentist has violated a relevant guideline or protocol. Moreover, dentists are not only responsible for their own mistakes, but also, in principle, for those of their employees. Depending on the situation, dentists can also be held accountable for the mistakes of a dentist who is working in their practice on a self-employed basis. Dutch dentists do not yet have to fear ‘American situations’, because damages awarded in the Netherlands are still relatively low.