Dental Negligence Solicitors

Dental negligence occurs when dentists provide treatment falling below standards reasonably expected of competent dentists, causing patient harm. Examples include nerve damage from extractions, failed implants, unnecessary extractions, inadequate root canal treatment, poor cosmetic work, or failure to diagnose oral cancer.

Not all poor dental outcomes are negligent. Dentists are not expected to achieve perfect results, but they should exercise reasonable skill and care. A claim may be possible where treatment demonstrably fell below acceptable standards and caused harm that proper treatment would have prevented.

Inferior alveolar nerve damage causes numbness, altered sensation, or pain in the lower lip, chin, teeth, or gums. Lingual nerve damage affects the tongue causing altered taste, speech difficulties, or numbness. Nerve damage commonly occurs during wisdom tooth extraction or implant placement.

Some nerve damage risk is unavoidable and acceptable if patients are properly warned. Negligent nerve damage occurs when dentists used poor technique, didn’t take appropriate X-rays, proceeded despite obvious risks, or didn’t warn adequately about nerve damage possibilities. Nerve damage can be temporary or permanent.

Failed dental implant claims arise from poor surgical technique, inadequate assessment before implantation, infection from poor hygiene, damage to adjacent structures, or implants placed in unsuitable bone. Dentists should assess bone quality, plan placement carefully, and follow proper surgical protocols.

Not all implant failures are negligent, as even properly placed implants can fail due to biological factors. A claim may be possible where failure resulted from inadequate assessment, poor placement technique, or inadequate post-operative care. Expert evidence distinguishes negligent failures from unavoidable biological complications.

Unnecessary extraction claims arise when dentists extract teeth that could have been saved with alternative treatments like fillings, crowns, or root canal treatment. Dentists should consider all treatment options and discuss alternatives before extracting teeth.

Claims require proving teeth were saveable and extraction wasn’t clinically justified. However, clinical judgement varies and extractions may be reasonable even if alternatives existed. Expert evidence establishes whether extraction decisions fell within acceptable clinical judgement or were clearly inappropriate.

Yes, dentists should obtain informed consent by explaining material risks, benefits, and alternatives. Material risks are those reasonable patients would want to know or that the specific patient would consider significant. For wisdom tooth extraction, dentists should warn about nerve damage risk.

A consent claim may be possible where material risks were not explained and those risks then occurred. You usually need to show you would not have proceeded with treatment if properly warned. Even if treatment wasn’t technically negligent, failure to warn about risks that occurred gives rise to claims.

Cosmetic dentistry claims arise from substandard veneers, crowns, bridges, or whitening causing aesthetic disappointment or functional problems. Patients must have realistic expectations, and dentists must explain achievable results honestly. Not all disappointing cosmetic outcomes are negligent.

A claim may be possible where the work fell demonstrably below acceptable standards, unrealistic promises were made, or proper consent was not obtained. Expert evidence establishes whether treatment met acceptable cosmetic dentistry standards considering the clinical situation. Before-and-after photographs are crucial evidence.

Compensation depends on injury severity. Compensation for nerve damage depends on whether the damage is temporary or permanent, the severity, and its impact on your daily life.

Compensation for failed dental work depends on the nature of the treatment, the corrective work required, and the impact on you. Every case is assessed individually. All claims include general damages for pain and suffering plus costs of corrective treatment, lost earnings during treatment, and travel expenses.