Mistakes During Dental Treatment

When visiting the dentist, you expect to receive a high standard of care and feel better after treatment. While this is usually the case, dental mistakes can happen during your treatment. If you have suffered an injury as a result of a dentist’s mistake, you may be able to make dental negligence claims.

The impact of dental negligence can be devastating; there may be need for further treatment and, in some cases, the loss of teeth. Let us discuss some of the most common dental mistakes and what you can do if you have been a victim.

What are the Most Common Dental Mistakes?

The following are some of what is classed as dental negligence:

Extraction Errors

Before a tooth extraction is done, a dental professional must carefully assess the tooth to be removed, plan an extraction procedure and exercise care when performing the extraction. Some common tooth extraction mistakes include extracting the wrong tooth, damage to nerve due to lack of proper care, serious jaw bone fracture due to use of excessive force, and damage to other teeth, crowns or bridges.

Dental Implant Negligence

A dental implant is a surgical fixture and serves as the roots of a missing tooth. A dental professional should carry out a dental procedure with the necessary care, skills and expertise. Common dental implant mistakes include:

• Placing the implant when the patient does not have sufficient bone in the gum or there is an active gum disease;
• Placing the implant on a nerve or too close to other teeth or dental implants;
• Fitting the crown or bridge into an implant before it completely integrates into the gum;
• Placing the implant at a wrong angle, causing the patient pain and infection.

Failing to obtain Consent

Your dentist owes you a duty of care to properly explain a dental treatment or procedure, your options as well as the risks associated with each option so you can give an informed consent. When your dentist fails in this regard, this may be deemed dental negligence and you may be entitled to a dental negligence claim.

Misdiagnosis and Inadequate Treatment of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease causes the gums to become red, swollen and bleed. It damages the soft tissues of the gum and, if left unchecked, causes permanent damage to the bone supporting the teeth. To reduce the impact of its damage, it is important that dental professionals diagnose periodontal disease as early as possible by looking out for the signs of the condition.

Once diagnosis has been made, it is important for a dentist to quickly administer appropriate treatment and carefully monitor the treatment plan to ensure alterations can be made if it is not effective in controlling the disease. If your periodontal disease has gotten worse or you have suffered further problems due to misdiagnosis or inadequate treatment, you may be able to make a claim for dental malpractice.

What Can I Do If My Dentist Makes Mistakes?

Basically, there are two things to do if your dentist makes mistakes. You can either make a complaint or make a claim. You can equally do both.

The essence of making a complaint is so that you are given an explanation into what actually happened. It also helps you understand if your dentist was actually negligent or made a mistake. Complaints do not yield compensation. You will however receive an apology if your healthcare provider or the NHS commissioning body agree that they made a mistake. 

Note that you have only 12 months from when you became aware of the negligent treatment to make your complaints. This time frame is not different from the time allotted for claims to be made. Therefore, it has to be done in good time.

On the other hand, you can make a claim with or without making a complaint as long as you are convinced your dentist acted negligently. You have three years from the date of knowledge to make a claim.

To make your claim, you will have to reach out to your dental negligence solicitor to help you make your claim. It is important that you meet experts as this greatly boosts your chances of winning your claim and being compensated.

You can call us on 0800 644 4240 to speak directly with one of our friendly solicitors and discuss your claims.

How Much Is My Dental Claim Worth?

There is no fixed dental negligence payouts amount in the UK; the dental negligence compensation amount you are awarded will depend on:

• The nature of your injury
• The severity of your injury
• Pain and suffering
• Future prognosis
• Costs incurred as a result of the injury
• Costs of further medical treatment
• Costs of rehabilitation

Once your dental negligence solicitor has all the facts of your case, they will review it and give you an estimate to expect in compensation with our dental negligence claim calculator – in accordance with the Judicial College Guidelines.

Get in Touch with Us Today

If you have suffered an injury or illness due to dental negligence and you are considering making a claim for compensation, or you need an expert opinion on whether you have valid grounds for making a claim, then you can count on us. We work with the best dental negligence solicitors who will be more than happy to assist you.

Medical Negligence Direct handles all forms of dental negligence claims including those against the NHS and private establishment. If you have suffered negligent treatment and are looking to sue an NHS dentist or sue a dentist at private practice, you can be sure that we will provide you with the support you need, examine your claim thoroughly and build a strong case for you.

With our No Win No Fee policy, you also do not have to worry about making payments to us before we commence handling your case. We also will not ask for a dime from you throughout the claims process until the case is won. We will only deduct no more than 25% of your compensation award after a successful case. So, it is a win-win for you. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to get justice for the unnecessary harm you suffered.

You may also use our free claims assessment form, or call us on 0800 644 4240 to speak directly with one of our friendly solicitors.