Common Types of Dental Malpractice

Starting as children, we are told to visit our dentist twice each year for regular cleanings.  These cleanings often lead to follow up care.  As dentists are increasingly stressed by the pressures of patient volume, staff shortages and business difficulties, the prevalence of mistakes have increased over the last few years.  These mistakes, also known as Dental Malpractice, can have serious consequences for patients and their families.  

It is estimated that nearly 125,000 dentists actively practice dentistry in the United States.  Shockingly, 1.6% of those practitioners, nearly 2,000 dentists, will be sued for malpractice each year.  Alarmingly, this statistic does not account for minor incidents of malpractice that do not result in injury or instances where dentists settle their malpractice claims out of court.  In fact, on average, each dentist will face between 3 to 5 malpractice claims over the course of his or her career!  

Studies show that nearly 26% of all dental malpractice claims result from tooth extractions that cause nerve damage, paresthesia, infection, damage to teeth and jaw bones and other serious complications – even death.  However, other common dental malpractice incidents occur as a result of broken instruments or nerve and sinus perforations during Endodontic procedures and the failure of dental implants.  These two circumstances account for another 27% of all dental malpractice.  Other common categories of dental malpractice include:

– Bridges and Crowns

– Orthodontics

– Infection

– Nerve Damage

– Injections

– Periodontal Disease

– Drug Reactions

– Anesthesia

Guiding Your Path to Justice

No matter how trustworthy your dentist might be, mistakes can occur that can have serious medical and financial impacts to you and your family.  If you or your loved ones are the victims of dental malpractice, please consider allowing the attorneys at the Feagans Law Group to Guide Your Path to Justice.