Dental professionals found using underhanded methods to receive extra compensation
The University of Zurich has announced extensive measures in response to an audit report regarding the Center for Dentistry (ZZM), which was recently disclosed in January 2025. The report alleges that individual dentists at ZZM manipulated their billing with private patients for tactical reasons, including delaying invoicing to avoid losing private fees and circumvent an honorarium cap set by the university. The new clinic information system, planned for the second half of 2026, is a key part of these measures. This system aims to make billing transparent and audit-proof, addressing the manipulation concerns raised in the report. Moreover, the university has pledged monthly checks of internal control systems and immediate feedback on irregularities to ensure the integrity of its operations. The audit report also highlighted a series of other critical points, such as pressure, intimidation, and lack of contact points, that have been reported at ZZM. However, the university did not comment on these specific allegations. One of the clinics within ZZM mentioned in the report is led by Professor Thomas Attin, who has been under scrutiny for some time. The report claims that around a third of the patient files in Thomas Attin's clinic for conservative dentistry and preventive dentistry could not be found. Additionally, three private practice holders at Thomas Attin's clinic are alleged to have exceeded the private fee cap in 2023. Two others in the same clinic are said to have treated private patients on their own account more frequently than allowed by regulations. Professor Luigi Gallo, a long-time insider and former clinic director, has criticized the handling of private donors at ZZM, stating it leads to a struggle for distribution and that not the best, but the most powerful, get to treat the most private patients. However, the university did not comment on the allegations made by Professor Gallo in the interview. It's important to note that the university emphasized that the review report is not related to allegations against individual professors. The Center for Dentistry handles significantly larger sums of money compared to other university institutions. Last year, private patients paid 3.5 million Swiss francs to the university dental center, of which 1.2 million Swiss francs went to the university as an infrastructure contribution and 2.3 million Swiss francs went to the dentists. The implementation of three central quality assurance measures will be implemented by 2025, based on the internal review report of the University of Zurich. The university is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and transparency in all its operations.
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