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 Personal Injury Lawyer

Are you a victim of dental malpractice? If you think you have been injured because of the negligence of your dental provider, contact a dental malpractice lawyer in Salt Lake to set up a free case evaluation and find out what your legal options may be.

The following are some of the more common types of dental malpractice:

Broken dental instrument: If a dental instrument breaks off during a procedure, such as during a root canal, the instrument can become lodged in the root or the tooth. This could cause a referral to an oral surgeon to remove the piece of instrument, causing pain and additional dental bills for the patient.

Broken tooth: If a dentist makes an error while repairing or pulling a tooth and this causes another tooth to become chipped or broken, the patient may be able to file for dental malpractice.

Crowns and veneers: In order to cover up discolored teeth or teeth that have irregular sizes, dentists place crowns and veneers over the patient’s teeth. However, if a dentist is negligent in the colors he or she chooses, leaving the patient with mismatched-colored teeth, or they use the wrong bonding, the patient may be able to pursue damages for dental malpractice.

Extraction: There are many injuries a victim can suffer during a tooth extraction if the dentist is negligent. Some of these injuries including extracting the wrong tooth, bleeding, broken jaw, sinus perforations, and infections.

Fillings: Although fillings may seem like a simple procedure, a negligent dentist can cause a victim to suffer injury if they drill too deep into the tooth than is needed and cause permanent damage to the nerve of the tooth.

Hepatitis and HIV: Lack of proper sterilization techniques can leave patients vulnerable to potentially fatal infections such as hepatitis and HIV. These cases leave thousands of patients vulnerable and at risk.

Jaw fracture: If a dentist uses too much force during an extraction, the force can cause the patient’s jaw to fracture. Patients should be fully informed of this potential, especially during procedures such as wisdom tooth extraction.

Periodontal disease: Failure to properly diagnose periodontal disease can cause a patient all types of serious issues later on when the condition has worsened. The treatments will likely be more extensive, more painful, and more expensive.

Root canal: When a dentist is negligent while performing a root canal, the victim can be left with permanent nerve damage. In severe cases, the victim can suffer permanent paralysis, numbness, or chronic pain in the chin and lip area.

Wisdom teeth: The extraction of wisdom teeth can leave a patient with injuries if the extraction is not done correctly. Some of the most common damage includes loss of taste, nerve damage, and uncontrolled bleeding. A patient must also be fully informed by the dentist of all the possible risks involved. Failure to do so could result in a dental malpractice lawsuit.

Wrong tooth: Just as doctors perform operations on the wrong body part, this is also a common mistake by dentists. Some of the more common wrong tooth dental malpractice include performing a root canal on the wrong tooth or extracting the wrong tooth. This means that when the mistake is discovered, the patient must go through a second, painful procedure.

Thanks to Rasmussen & Miner for their insight into medical malpractice and dental issues.