If you have suffered harm because your dentist failed to refer you to a proper specialist, you may well have a viable claim of dental malpractice. This can be true whether your dentist failed to refer you to a specialist in a different medical discipline or to one with a different dental specialty than his or her own.
If you have been the victim of dental malpractice involving failure to provide an appropriate referral, contact Lance Ehrenberg, a lead attorney at Dental Malpractice Lawyers of New York as soon as possible. He has in-depth knowledge of the laws surrounding dental malpractice as well as the litigation skills to fight for your right to fair compensation. More than that, your initial consultation will be free and he will charge you no attorneys’ fees until he recovers damages.
Reasons Dentists Fail to Refer Their Patients to Appropriate Specialists
There are several reasons dentists may fail in their duty of care by not sending their patients on to specialists when circumstances warrant. These reasons include:
- Sheer negligence: lack of attention, distraction, an impairment that keep your dentist from realizing that a referral is necessary
- Failure to take your medical history or other symptoms into account
- Failure to order necessary diagnostic imaging, blood, or other tests to rule out other dental or medical condition
- Arrogance: your dentist’s belief that he/she can handle anything that arises so there is no need for a referral to a specialist
- Greed: your dentist wants to keep treating you in her/his quest for ongoing income
Whatever the reason your dentist failed to refer you on to a colleague better able to treat your condition, it is not a good enough reason to have caused your condition to significantly worsen or even become potentially fatal.
Injuries You May Suffer Due to Your Dentist’s Failure to Refer You to a Proper Specialist
Unfortunately, the failure of your dentist to refer you to a specialist may have serious, even catastrophic consequences, including:
- Undiagnosed or improperly diagnosed symptoms that lead to worsening injury or illness
- Worsening of gum disease and loss of teeth
- Unnecessary surgery
- Treatment or medication that is contraindicated by your condition
Damages Caused by Your Dentist’s Failure to Refer You to a Proper Specialist
Your dentist’s failure to refer you to the appropriate dental specialist or medical doctor may result in serious financial, as well as physical, and emotional consequences. By allowing a serious injury or illness to become worse, your dentist’s negligence may have caused you to:
- Have increased dental and medical costs for treatment, medication, and/or surgery
- Sustain greater loss of income if you must take additional time off from work to deal with an extended treatment of complications
- Increased physical pain and emotional distress due to improper treatment
Whatever the circumstances of your dentist’s failure to refer you to another type of dental specialist (e.g. periodontist, endodontist, orthodontist, oral surgeon) or to recognize that you needed another type of medical care (e.g. from an oncologist, rheumatologist, endocrinologist, or psychiatrist) — Lance Ehrenberg will help you to file a dental malpractice lawsuit.
Diseases Can Remain Undetected if Your Dentist Fails to Refer to Necessary Specialists
Much harm can occur if your dentist is too cavalier or neglectful to refer you to the right type of specialist. If you have suffered an injury because your dentist failed to suspect that you had, for example, diabetes, osteoporosis, hypochondria, an autoimmune or neurological disorder, or oral cancer — our skilled dental malpractice lawyer will fight aggressively for your right to just compensation.
Contact Our Experienced Dental Malpractice Attorney Today
Suffering as a result of dental malpractice can be overwhelming. Contacting Lance Ehrenberg is a good first step toward feeling back in control of your life and your health. He is well-prepared to provide the legal and moral support you need and to fight hard for the financial damages you deserve.