Common Themes of Dental Negligence
The common themes which arise in negligent treatment by dentists and orthodontists include:
- Failure to refer the patient for a specialist opinion and/or treatment;
- Failure to provide appropriate treatment to the patient;
- Failure to provide proper advice to the patient;
- Failure to appropriately diagnose the patient’s condition;
- Failure to appropriately monitor the patient;
- Providing treatment to the patient which caused further damage; and
- Providing unnecessary dental work to the patient.
Perhaps the most common issue that gives rise to dental negligence claims, is dentists undertaking procedures or rendering treatment that is beyond their level of expertise or training.
According to one study published in the Australian Dental Journal, dentists are more frequently undertaking a wider range of oral surgery procedures; such as wisdom teeth removal, placement of dental implants, and orthodontic treatment, much of which is beyond their scope of practice, increasing the risk of error.
The study suggested one reason for this may be that there are more dentists in Australia than in previous years, resulting in a saturation of the market and a climate where dentists may be more willing to take on complex cases with which they have less experience.
Unfortunately, when a patient does have a poor outcome, they can be left with the need for extensive corrective treatment which can be costly, inconvenient and painful.
Assisting our clients with dental negligence cases
In dental negligence claims we have brought on behalf of our clients in the past, we obtained expert evidence as to the nature and cost of the future treatment that our clients required (both dental and psychological) in order to claim the cost. Claims also include damages for pain and suffering, loss of income and any assistance with domestic tasks our clients may have reasonably required during their treatment and recovery.
If you think you may have been a victim of dental negligence, we invite you to contact our firm and book a free consultation with one of our dental negligence solicitors to discuss your options on 02 4050 0330 or book online.
