When Do You Have A Case Of Dental Malpractice?

What is dental malpractice or negligence?

Dental negligence is a component of medical malpractice that many people do not consider. When you go to the dentist and sustain an injury that results from the treatment you received, you may have experienced dental negligence or dental malpractice. People put an immense amount of trust in their dentists, who, like other medical professionals, must meet a certain standard of care, or the result is injury to the patient. Most dentists are able to meet this standard, but when one does not, the result can be painful, expensive, and traumatic. In some cases, the incident can lead to infection, hospitalization, and even death. So it is very important that dentists do everything in their power to provide the best work that they can to ensure the patient’s health.

Know your rights.

One dentist noticed in her years of practicing and as an expert witness in many dental malpractice cases, that many dental malpractice cases go unreported. One of the reasons for this, she says, is that patients do not know their options. Many people do not know that it is within their rights to file a medical malpractice complaint. Patients must first know their options and then know how to report the incident and file a malpractice claim.

Types of dental negligence:

• Unnecessary extraction of tooth or several teeth

• Nerve injuries that affect the patient’s ability to taste

• Nerve damage to the tongue

• Extraction of the wrong tooth

• Failure to diagnose oral cancer

• Complications arising from anaesthesia

• Negligent collection of medical history

• Complications from work like crowns or bridges that were improperly done

What happens when you report?

When a patient reports an incident and files a complaint against a dentist, state regulators begin to investigate. If they find that malpractice played a part in the case, the result could be a fine, reprimand, or a suspended or revoked license for the dentist.

Settling or going to court in a dental negligence case can be difficult, and many choose to let the incident go rather than report it or pursue the case. But there are many cases where fair settlements have been reached. Just as physicians must be held responsible for their actions, dentists must be as well.

If you have experienced dental malpractice and wish to pursue a malpractice case against the negligent dentist, contact a medical malpractice attorney. In many cases, failure to do something that should have been done, constitutes malpractice as well.

Medical Malpractice Lawyers

If you believe that you or someone you love has a medical malpractice case, contact the St. Louis medical malpractice lawyers at Zevan and Davidson today to schedule a free consultation by calling (314) 588-7200 or filling out our online contact form.

photo credit: mattlemmon