Dental Negligence Claims

Dentists take care of patients’ teeth, gums, mouth and oral hygiene. Sadly, below standard dental care can lead to avoidable dental injuries and conditions. If you have been a victim of medical negligence at the hands of your private dentist or a dentist on the National Health Service (NHS) then we, at OH Parsons, can help you make a dental negligence claim and secure compensation which can include the cost of restorative treatment. 

What is dental negligence?

Dental negligence is the substandard care provided to patients by dentists or dental practitioners. It occurs where dentists do something, or fail to do something, that no other competent dentist would do. This can include failing to diagnose conditions, negligently performed extractions, failure to note more serious symptoms and refer for further investigations. Patients that have been victims of dental negligence have sadly had to experience pain, trauma and sometimes additional dental surgery or dental treatment.

What are the various types of dental negligence for which you can file claim compensation?

There are several types of dental negligence that can lead to a dental negligence claim. Some of these are:

• • • Extraction of the wrong tooth
    • Missed or delayed diagnoses or misdiagnoses of decay, periodontal disease, mouth cancers
    • Carelessness by the dentist such as using faulty or expired equipment that can lead to injury
    • Improper treatment plans
    • Failure to provide hygienic treatment conditions
    • Poor imaging or radiology
    • Administering the wrong prescription or drugs
    • Not informing the patient of the risks involved in the treatment
    • Inability to provide an acceptable result after cosmetic dentistry

What types of injuries can you sustain due to dental negligence?

Below are some of the kinds of injuries that can arise from dental negligence and for which you can bring a claim:

• • • Nerve damage
    • loss of a healthy tooth
    • permanent injury to the teeth or gums
    • mouth cancer

What evidence do you need to bring a dental negligence claim?

In order to claim for dental compensation, you need to contact our dental negligence solicitors as they can explain to you the entire legal process and help you make a claim. To begin with, we need to prove certain things so that we can establish a case of dental negligence. They are:

• • • Breach of duty– You need to prove that your dental practitioner breached their duty of care and failed to provide the adequate level of care. We do this by asking an independent expert to review your dental records and consider whether any reasonable competent dentist or dental practitioner would have done (or sometimes not done) what your dentist did.
    • Causation– You need to prove that in the absence of the negligence, you would have had a better outcome, avoided pain and trauma, avoided additional surgery and where you have ongoing problems, that they would have been avoided. We ask an independent dental expert to consider this point. 
    • Quantum – this means the damage done and the compensation you are entitled to. We ask an independent dental expert to examine you and report on what you’ve been through and the damage caused. We then consider what financial losses we can claim for on your behalf. 

We will explain each step of the process to you as the claim progresses and you can always ask us if you are unsure of what is happening. 

Is it possible to sue the NHS for dental negligence?

Yes, you can sue the NHS for dental negligence if you received the dental treatment via an NHS dentist. If you have suffered from an injury because of your dental treatment on the NHS, then you have every right to investigate and bring a claim for  dental negligence compensation.

Our best dental negligence specialist solicitors can help you secure a rightful compensation against your loss.

What is the amount of compensation I am going to receive if I make a dental negligence claim?

The amount that you will receive as compensation is likely to depend on the seriousness of the injury or harm that you have suffered as a result of dental negligence. It also takes into account the amount you have already paid for treatment and also the costs you have to incur for further treatment of the damage caused to you. It will also cover your travel costs related to your treatment and any lost earnings. Our dental negligence specialist lawyers will make sure that all your monetary losses and expenses are claimed for.