dental chair

Common Dental Malpractice Lawsuits

If you believe that your dentist’s incompetence or negligence has caused you serious harm, you may be able to sue for malpractice and obtain substantial damages for your medical costs, pain and suffering, lost income, and other related losses. To prove malpractice, you will need an accomplished dental malpractice attorney to leverage his or her legal knowledge and litigation skills against the opposing law team. It is no easy matter to prove professional negligence, but Dental & Podiatry Malpractice Lawyers of New York has the experience and determination to fight vigorously to bring you a just outcome.

Among the most common types of dental malpractice cases we see are:

Mistakes with Extractions

Dental extractions have come a long way since the cartoons with pictures of the patient’s tooth tied to a slamming door were drawn. Even in a modern setting, however, extractions are no laughing matter, especially if there is dental incompetence or negligence involved. Although most tooth extractions go smoothly, after a tooth extraction, a certain percentage of patients:

If you believe that your dentist has caused any of these problems, you should contact our practice to find out more about your legal options. Lance Ehrenberg, Esq. knows that losing a single tooth unnecessarily may interfere with your bite or appearance, require a dental implant, or interfere with existing dental devices or appliances.

Incompetent Endodontic Procedures

Another common variety of dental negligence occurs during endodontic procedures (e.g. root canals). In some cases, dental mistakes include:

  • Leaving instruments in canals 
  • Perforating sinuses
  • Causing air embolisms
  • Damaging nerves
  • Failing to diagnose or treat life-threatening infections (e.g. brain abscesses) 

As you can see, dental mistakes can have severe, even fatal, consequences. That’s why it’s essential to consult with a skilled, compassionate dental malpractice lawyer to check out your options if you have been harmed by dental negligence.

Other Disturbing Incidences of Dental Malpractice

Almost any dental procedure can result in harm to the patient which, although rarely intentional, may result in pain, prolonged inability to work, and further expensive, time-consuming healthcare measures. Among the other types of dental malpractice we’ve seen are:

  • Diagnostic errors (both failure to diagnose and misdiagnosis)
  • Incorrect dental implant procedures
  • Below par installation of crowns and bridges
  • Improper treatment of periodontal (gum) disease
  • Mistakes in orthodontic treatment
  • Poor quality administration of anesthesia
  • Misdiagnosis or mistreatment of abscesses
  • Failure to diagnose oral cancer
  • Incorrectly administered dental injections
  • Allergic or other adverse drug or anesthesia reactions

How is dental negligence defined?

Dental negligence is defined as an avoidable injury caused by a dentist who fails to fulfill his/her duty of care to the patient by behaving improperly according to the standards of reasonable professional dental care. Examples of dental negligence include:

  • Improper sterilization of instruments
  • Failing to take, or pay attention to, a detailed medical history
  • Failing to take inventory to make sure no dental equipment has been left in the patient
  • Not recognizing the early signs of infection
  • Not checking records to make sure which tooth is being targeted for work or extraction

If you believe your dentist has done something wrong and in so doing has caused you serious harm, you should contact our office so we can evaluate whether your claim for damages has legal weight. If so, we will do everything in our power to win you every bit of damages you are legally entitled to. You can count on Dental & Podiatry Malpractice Lawyers of New York to stand by you every step of the way.

About the Author
Of all the different areas in medical malpractice, it is podiatry malpractice that has had a particular interest to me. With 42 years practicing law and representing hundreds of victims of malpractice, I have created a law practice in which my clients are comfortable knowing that their case is being handled with my personal attention, in the most professional manner, and without unreasonable delays.