For many of us a trip to the dentist can be a difficult experience, even if just for a regular check up. The majority of dental procedures are carried out successfully with no complications, however sometimes treatment can go wrong and it can sometimes be due to negligence from the dental practitioners.
Here at Clear Law, we take on a range of dental negligence cases, with a high success rate. The list below shows just a few of the type of dental negligence cases we can help you with:
Delayed diagnosis
This is when a patient has been attending their dental practitioner on a regular basis with the same problem, whether it’s excruciating pain or an abscess, and the dentist does not give the correct diagnosis. In many cases, the problem can take over a year to be properly diagnosed, causing the patient to go through pain and suffering for an unnecessary amount of time.
Misdiagnosis
This relates to where a dental practitioner makes the incorrect diagnosis, and therefore potentially treats a patient for a problem that does not exist, instead of identifying the correct source of the problem. Misdiagnosis can lead to incorrect medication being prescribed, or incorrect dental work being carried out.
Poor/substandard dental work
Substandard is defined at ‘below the usual or required standard’. A dental practitioner is under an obligation to provide the best standard of care possible when performing treatment on a patient. If the work is substandard, it is usually due to the dentist failing to carry out the treatment to a reasonable standard. Examples of this can include; incorrect implants, failed implants, poor hygiene, improper use of anaesthesia, nerve damage, failed or inadequate fillings, crowns, root canal treatment, or removal of a tooth.
Facial Paralysis
This usually occurs when there is severe nerve damage caused by poor or substandard dental work, or where incorrect anaesthetic or incorrect washout solution is used during a procedure. Although rare, this type of negligence can lead to facial paralysis, usually on the side of the treatment provided. It can also spread to affect further areas of the face and can even cause damage to sinuses.
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