Dental Nerve Damage Compensation Claims

A dental nerve damage claim happens when an individual takes legal action against his or her dentist for negligent treatment while undergoing a dental procedure which has left the individual in pain, suffering, psychological trauma or led to further complications.

Dentists like every other medical personnel owe a duty of care to their patients and should anything go wrong as a result of their carelessness, they should be held accountable.

There are various reasons why we may require to visit our dentists- such as tooth extraction, tooth filing, inserting dental implants, root canal therapy or other dental procedures. When we visit our dentist, we expect that they provide us with the right standard of care, we hope to be treated for our dental problem and not to sustain avoidable injuries or further complications.

Therefore, if you have sustained damage to your dental nerves, you may consider suing the dentist for negligence. Our Dental nerve damage solicitors are friendly and understanding, they have the expertise to make whatever kind of dental negligence compensation claims you wish to make.
They will ensure you are well supported during this difficult time, do a free assessment of your claim and if you have a valid dental negligence claim, they will leave no stone unturned to see that you get the compensation you deserve.

Dental Nerve Damage

Dental procedures usually involve working around different tooth nerves in the mouth as each tooth has a nerve as well as many other sensitive nerves in the jaw and mouth. This means that one moment of mistake or negligence can lead to different complications such as difficulty in speaking, eating, drinking and loss of sensation in a particular area in the mouth. This is why utmost care has to be taken during any dental procedure.

The trigeminal nerve, a very important facial nerve, is the most affected when a dental nerve is damaged because parts of it are in close proximity to the jaw and mouth. The trigeminal nerve is the tooth nerve which is responsible for feeling/sensation in the face; it also acts to make chewing and eating possible. 

Trigeminal nerve damage due to dental malpractice can lead to numbness of the face, lips, tongue, difficulties in eating, speaking and several other complications. Some nerve damage may be temporary but others can sadly be permanent and for this you have a good chance of being compensated appropriately.

Can I Sue My Dentist For Nerve Damage?

Absolutely! You can sue your dentist for acts of dental negligence which have caused you to suffer facial nerve damage after tooth extraction, root canal therapy, dental filling or some other dental procedure.

Nerve damage to the mouth of varying degrees from tooth nerve inflammation to nerve damage in jaw or other forms of nerve damage can impact your life heavily. You may lose feeling in your tongue, teeth, loss of taste or be in constant pain due to tooth nerve inflammation from tooth nerve damage. 

Before carrying out any dental procedure, your dentist has to discuss with you the risks involved and ensure that you understand them perfectly and give your informed consent before proceeding.

If you have suffered dental nerve damage causing conditions like dental nerve pain in gums, maxillary nerve numbness, alveolar nerve injury, trigeminal nerve pain after dental work, lingual nerve damage or other related dental nerve injuries which has left you in constant pain, loss of sensation or other complications, you can sue your dentist for medical negligence.

How Does Dental Nerve Damage Occur?

Nerve damage can occur in various ways while performing certain dental procedures such as-

Nerve Injury During Tooth Extraction

During tooth extraction, mostly wisdom tooth extraction, the nerve which controls sensation to the chin, lower lip and lower teeth that runs through the lower jaw can be bruised or stretched, there could also be lingual nerve injury after wisdom tooth extraction or alveolar nerve injury. 

The nerve damage may be temporary needing several months to heal or can be permanent. People have also experienced removal of their wisdom teeth causing them tingling face or nerve inflammation after tooth extraction but this heals after a few days.

Nerve Damage After Teeth Fillings

There could be dental nerve damage after a filling procedure or tooth nerve inflammation which means that the fillings may have irritated or aggravated the nerves inside the teeth. The pain should go away in a few days but if you have a prolonged pain, then you may have a claim for dental nerve damage.
If you or your loved one suffered nerve damage from filling, you may have enough grounds to file a dental nerve damage lawsuit.

Nerve Damage From Dental Implants

When fitting dental implants, holes are drilled into the jaw, and if the dentist is negligent, it could lead to alveolar nerve injury. Also, if the implant is too long and asserts pressure on the nerves, you can suffer dental nerve damage.

Nerve Damage From Root Canal Treatment

A root canal treatment is recommended to save an infected tooth. During the process, the dentist will have to remove the nerve and pulp from the infected tooth, clean the area ridding it of infection causing bacteria and then seal it.
When the process is negligently carried out, the dentist may injure or damage the nerves. Also, if the solution (sodium hypochlorite) used to clean the canal is injected into the surrounding tissues, it can result in nerve damage.

Forms Of Dental Nerve Damage Claims

Below are some forms of dental nerve damage claims we can help you make should you be a victim of dental negligence. They are but not limited to;

• Facial Nerve Damage Claims
• Trigeminal Neuralgia Lawsuit 
• Dysesthesia NHS Claims
• Maxillary Nerve Numbness Claims
• Alveolar Nerve Injury Claims
• Lingual Nerve Damage Claims

How Do I Know If I Have Nerve Damage?

There are several symptoms you can have which can indicate nerve damage. These symptoms can be temporary or can be permanent. They include;

• Numbness or loss of sensation in your gums, mouth, jaw, or face
• Oral Incontinence
• Pain or a burning feeling in these areas
• Loss of ability to taste
• Difficulties with speech 
• Difficulties with eating
• Swelling that extends to other areas of the face, neck, or head
• Anesthesia (complete numbness)
• Paraesthesia (tingling feeling)
• Dysesthesia (pain and burning)

How Do I Prove My Dental Nerve Damage Claims?

To prove your dental nerve damage claims, it is important to establish that the dentist was directly responsible for your nerve injury or complications as a result of being negligent. Therefore, the four parts of negligence has to be established which are; 

• Duty (that your dentist owed you a duty of care)
• Deviation (that your dentist reached that duty of care)
• Direct causation (that the negligent action of your dentist led to the complications and nerve damage you are suffering)
• Damages (your injury has also caused you other damages psychologically and financially) 

The Process Of Making Dental Nerve Damage Claims

The process of making dental nerve damage lawsuit is similar to other medical negligence claims and it includes;

• Contact your solicitor for a free claim assessment and dental nerve damage legal advice
• Fund your claim
• Gather all necessary fact, documents and all other evidence needed prove to substantiate your claims
  • Comprehensive statements of all events that transpired, how you suffered damage to your tooth nerve and the dentist involved.
  • Your medical records, tests results and x-ray results
  • Witness statements
  • Proof of financial losses incurred as a result of the dental negligence
  • Photographs
  • Reports from an independent dental expert after further medical examination.
• Establish defendant’s liability (and where they fail to accept any wrongdoing, the case can be lodged in the court and may go to a trial)
• Negotiation for settlement payout and payment

Dental Nerve Damage Compensation Payout

Like every other medical negligence or personal injury claims, compensation payouts for a dental nerve damage claim is not fixed. The reason for this is that no two dental negligence claims are exactly the same.
The type of negligence suffered, the severity of injury sustained, the location of injury as well as the impact of the injury on the life of the victim will differ with each claim and therefore will have an impact on the compensation amount to be received. These factors are generally known as General Damages.

Other factors which impact on the compensation amount to be received include out-of-pocket expenses, other financial losses incurred, costs of further dental treatment to treat the complications, therapies and rehabilitations where necessary. These factors are generally classified under Special Damages.

We can also give you what you can expect as your dental nerve damage compensation amount for your claims using our medical negligence calculator.

Time Limit For Dental Nerve Damage Claims

According to the Limitation Act of 1980, you only have a three-year time limit to make your dental negligence claim. This three-year period begins to count from the date of the dental negligence or when you became aware of it.

In a case where the sufferer of the nerve damage is a minor (under 18 years of age), then the three-year time frame starts from the individual’s 18th birthday. This means that he or she has until his or her 21st birthday to make a claim.

Furthermore, in case where the sufferer of the injury is physically or mentally incapacitated and unable to make claims, the time frame can be waived until he or she is able to do so.

A litigation friend, which can be a loved one, can make claims on behalf of a minor or a person is incapable of making claims on their behalf.

We encourage you to begin your claim as soon as possible if you have suffered nerve damage during a dental procedure. Making claims early helps you such that you can easily recall events and tell them as they happened.  It also affords your solicitors enough time to prepare adequately and give you a strong legal representation. 

When you contact us, we can give you more explanations about this and what a litigation friend has to do to make a claim.

Our Expertise In Dental Nerve Damage Claims

Our dental negligence experts have over the years represented clients who have suffered from dental negligence. We have the expertise and boast a strong record of securing deserving compensation amounts for clients over the years. We will do our best to ensure that you are well compensated for your pain, nerve damage or other complications. 

Our solicitors are understanding, friendly and will ensure that the entire claims process smoothly and stress-free for you. They can do a free assessment of your case and assist you make that claim.

Our Dental Nerve Damage solicitors will provide you with the legal representation to make your dental negligence claims under our no win no fee policy. This allows you to take legal actions against your dentist without any financial risks to you. This means that you do not need to pay us any legal fees throughout the entire negligence claims period. Again, if the claim is not successful, you will not need to pay us.

However, for a successful case, we will deduct a 25% success fee from your total compensation award.

Reach out to us today by completing our quick Free Claim Assessment Form for a free assessment of your case. You can also call us on 0800 644 4240 to discuss with one of our solicitors.