Did something go wrong during your latest trip to the dental practice?
Dentists have professional standards to which they must adhere and, whether you were a private patient or treated by the NHS, you’ve got a right to expect a reasonable level of care. But unfortunately, mistakes do happen – and they can be pretty painful and traumatic.
If you’ve suffered in any way due to the error or inaction of a dental professional, it could be classed as dental negligence, and you may have grounds to make a dental negligence claim.
Find out more and take the first step towards the compensation you deserve today.
What is dental negligence?
Dental negligence is a broad term that can be used to describe a wide range of experiences.
It refers to any instance in which a dental professional – whether that be an NHS dentist, private dentist, orthodontist, hygienist, dental nurse, oral surgeon etc. – failed in their duty to provide you with an adequate level of care. And as a result, caused further injury or suffering. This can include cases in which they delivered incorrect, delayed or poor/careless treatment.
Some of the most typical examples of dental negligence include:
- Negligent root canal treatment
Whilst the procedure is usually completed without any issues, dental negligence or errors during root canal treatment can lead to complications such as fractured teeth, dental instrument residue and failure to remove all of the infected bacteria before attaching the crown.
If you’ve experienced any of these, you may be entitled to make a dental negligence claim.
- Incorrect fitting of a crown or bridges
When inserted incorrectly, crowns and bridges can cause long-term discomfort – and probably won’t last as long as they should. In such cases, you should be eligible to make a claim.
- Nerve damage
Typically caused by a mistake made during surgical procedures, nerve damage commonly leads to infections and may cause symptoms such as a tingling sensation in the mouth and gums, numbness, difficulty moving the tongue, as well as changes to your physical appearance.
Again, if any of these complications are familiar, you may be entitled to compensation.
- Tooth extractions
Errors made during the extraction procedure can sometimes lead to a fractured tooth, nerve damage and issues with the gums – all of which would make you eligible to claim.
You can also claim in the rare circumstances in which the wrong tooth is extracted.
- Oral cancer misdiagnosis
Some of the most common symptoms of oral cancer (also known as mouth cancer) include mouth ulcers, lumps in the mouth or neck, loose teeth, numbness and red or white patches.
To avoid further illness and complications, the condition must be caught early and treated quickly. If your dental practitioner failed to spot these symptoms – thereby delaying your treatment – you may be entitled to claim dental negligence compensation.
- Mistakes during oral surgery
With any type of oral surgery, the risks should be clearly explained beforehand – allowing you to make an informed decision on whether or not you’d like to go ahead. If you weren’t warned about the risks, and were injured during surgery, you may be able to submit a claim.
You may also be eligible if your dentist made a mistake during surgery.
This is by no means a full list. So if your specific experience doesn’t fall into one of these categories, you may still be entitled to claim. As long as your symptoms were caused by (or made worse) due to a mistake made by a dental professional, and the incident happened within the last three years, at the very least it’s worth investigating your options.
Want to confirm your eligibility?
To find out for sure if you’re eligible to make a dental negligence claim, the easiest option is to contact a dental negligence solicitors – such as Injury Lawyers Direct.
An initial consultation is available completely free of charge. Following a brief chat about your experience, they can advise on both your suitability to claim and your chances of success. And if you wish to proceed, they can oversee the entire claim on your behalf.
Give them a call today on 0800 110 5888 to get started.