A great portion of the population has a severe and legitimate fear of dentists, called dental phobia, and many would agree it’s not hard to understand why. You are placed in a room, often secluded besides yourself and the dentist or hygienist, and asked to assume a relaxed, reclined position. While in that vulnerable position, someone uses instruments that make loud and disturbing sounds in your mouth of all places! The one instrument you have to protest, shout for help or explain that something is painful is obstructed by gloved hands and metal instruments. In addition to this, you are typically fully aware of what is occurring and can see sharp objects coming right into your field of vision. Scraping, scratching, and drilling sounds are then amplified by your hearing since it is occurring right inside your mouth.
Contact a Sacramento Dental Malpractice Attorney Today
What is Dental Malpractice?
Dental malpractice happens when a dentist veers away from the standard of dental care within his community, which leads to an injury in the patient. The dental standard of care would be the level of care that competent dentists in that same community would have given to one of their patients in similar circumstances.
The Truth about Dental Malpractice
Dental malpractice concerns thousands of individuals yearly. 13.1 percent of the professional malpractice claims filed are against dentists, according to the American Board of Legal Medicine. Laws governing the duties dentists have to their patients differ state by state, but they are very similar. The law holds dental professionals accountable for their behavior, and patients who suffer injuries as a result of dental malpractice have rights to pursue legal solutions, including filing a complaint with the state dental board, and filing a dental malpractice lawsuit with the assistance of a medical malpractice attorney.
Common forms of dental malpractice include:
- Improperly administered anesthesia
- Infections that develop because of improperly sterilized dental equipment
- Failure to detect and treat periodontal illness
- Unjustified delay in treatment
- Misdiagnosis of a dental ailment
- Unnecessary extraction of a tooth or teeth
Even mistakes have consequences.
Even medical professionals make legitimate mistakes; however, if you are paying for additional dental bills to pay or losing income because you lost time from work, it might be beneficial for you to file a claim for damages against your dentist. If you suffered lasting harm, such as disfigurement of your facial expression after nerves were damaged, or you now require dental implants because of missing teeth, you may have reason to pursue punitive damages as well as actual economic damages.
Legal Remedies Available
Thankfully, the law is on your side, and there are options available if a dentist in the Greater Sacramento Area has failed to do right by you. There are two options that are definitely available to you:
- File a complaint with the dental board – contact the dental board in your state and register a complaint. If there is adequate reason to advance your claim, an investigator will communicate with the dental profession in writing, notifying him or her that a complaint has been filed.
- File a dental malpractice lawsuit – hire a qualified and experienced personal injury attorney who specializes in medical malpractice and has experience with dental malpractice to assist you in filing a dental malpractice lawsuit.
Our Sacramento lawyers sometimes hear of instances of pediatric or elder dentist malpractice. We are prepared to evaluate your case and make recommendations as to whether we believe your case has merit after dental care has gone wrong. We can tell you about the many successful outcomes we have achieved for clients who had been injured through someone else’s negligence and explain how we can help you.
After A California Dentist Error, Attorney Representation Can Bring Financial Relief
We welcome you to contact us or call 916-448-1010 to schedule a free initial consultation at your convenience.