July 24, 2020
For a lot of people, the prospect of going to the dentist can ignite fear and anxiety. A lot of people don’t like going to their annual checkups, with many being uncomfortable with the sensation of the process, while others are scared that during a routine check-up an issue may be discovered that can turn that appointment into a painful and costly procedure. These are all valid reasons to fear the local dental practice, but there’s another, justifiable reason to be even more weary: the risk of dental negligence.
Dental negligence can be defined as an avoidable injury caused by the dentist that causes extreme pain and that may also lead to further complications. Most of the time these injuries are a result of a poor performing dentist who didn’t take the appropriate steps to ensure your safety.
Here’s some of the very real and very damaging examples of dental malpractice that can negatively affect your health and your life.
Not Obtaining Consent
If a dentist performs a procedure without gaining your permission beforehand, that’s grounds for a negligence claim, but only if this procedure causes any long-lasting harm to your health.
In addition, if a dentist doesn’t provide you with all the risks and side effects that each procedure has, before you agree to undergo it, it means that you didn’t have all the information to make an informed decision, thus giving you a claim for negligence.
This is the most common form of dental malpractice, yet it frequently goes unpunished. For those that have previously suffered injuries from medical malpractice, or who are fearful that they may do so in the future, there are solutions and aid to support you, such as experienced lawyers who can help you make a claim, and support groups that can help you rectify the damage.
Dental Injuries
This is a quite common type of dental negligence case and can cause serious harm to your oral health. There are many examples of dental injures that can impact you, with them ranging from mild to severe. Some of the more common examples include extracting the wrong tooth; a serious infection developing in the gums or tongue due to using unsafe equipment or methods; dental nerve damage that can cause long-term and even permanent pain in the mouth, lips or face; not to mention the psychological effects this incident can have on people, such as causing depression and even driving people to suicide due to the pain.
Failed Diagnosis
If a dentist fails to spot an issue developing, or even worse, misdiagnoses that issue, it could lead to that issue getting worse in the long run. It can result in the wrong medication being prescribed, or none at all, meaning that the issue isn’t getting treated, increasing the likelihood of the condition growing into something far worse and harder to treat.
The claim is stronger when serious oral health issues such as cancers and tooth decay are failed to be diagnosed, even more so if that patient has come in for regular visits and has had numerous x-rays and examinations.
Some of the most common conditions that dentists fail to diagnose include gum disease, periodontal disease – which is a severe form of gum disease, oral cancer, tooth decay and the need for root canal treatment. Missing any of these can seriously and negatively affect the health of your mouth.