Dental Malpractice Attorney

What Is Dental Malpractice

Simply stated, dental malpractice is when a dental health care provider (1) failed to do what another reasonable prudent dental health care provider would have done, and (2) did something that injured a patient or did not do something that would have prevented a patient from being injured or further injured.

Notice that if a dental health care provider (dentist or staff member) did what other dental health care providers would have done under the same circumstances, there may not have been malpractice.

Examples of where a dental health care provider may have injured a patient:

- Incorrectly performed crown, root canal, or bridge prostheses that results in injury to the patient's teeth, gums, or jaw bone.

- Faulty application of anesthesia that results in injury to patient's tongue, lips, chin or jaw.

- Extraction of wrong tooth or improper extraction of tooth that injures the patient.

Examples of where a dental health care provider may have failed to prevent injury or further injury:

- Failure to diagnose or treat periodontal (gum) disease or oral cancer.

- Failure to obtain informed consent of the patient or doing more than that to which the patient consented.

- Allowing unlicensed dentist to perform dental services or not properly supervising staff members.

It may seem un-necessary to state, but in order for you to be compensated for dental malpractice, you must suffer an injury. A dental health care provider can be negligent and do or not do what he/she should or shouldn't do, but unless you have suffered an injury, there is not a dental malpractice case and you will not receive compensation.

This is basic general information only. If you have any questions whatsoever, talk with a lawyer licensed in your state.

See dental malpractice attorney for how to find the right dental malpractice atorney.

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