Question

Is the dot structure method failproof? in other words, are there any exceptions or is this the best way to determine oxidation states for "non-obvious" compounds?

Answer 1

This _is_ the best method to determine the oxidation states for non obvious compounds as far as I know.

However, dot structures are not perfect; for instance, they are really useful for simple mechanisms, but fail to explain to explain the behaviors and regioselectivity of other reactions (such as Wittig reactions for instance).