With demand for dental appointments increasing year on year, and many people in the UK simply unable to access dentistry at all, new research from Dental Law has found more worryingly that of those patients who have attended a NHS or private dental appointment “a fifth have experienced ‘possible or probable’ dental negligence in the past three years”, With the high demand of dentistry in the UK right now, we know and can sympathise that this has created and placed immense pressure on practicing dentists’ who are treating patients regularly. But with increased time pressure to meet deadlines and treat patients so quickly, this could negatively impact a dentist’s ability to diagnose and treat patients accurately. So, it’s important as a patient that you are made aware of the ways in which under law you should be treated by your dentist so that you do not fall victim of negligent dental treatment. Read more here.
Some of the most common types of dental negligence claims we come across and settle daily include:
Failure To Treat
This type of dental negligence relates to instances when a dental professional fails to appropriately treat a condition that you, their patient, suffers from. Read more
Failure To Diagnose
If you have visited your dentist with an issue regarding your oral health and they have failed to examine you correctly, or if they have diagnosed your problem but failed to take some of your pain, sensitivity or other symptoms into consideration. Read more
Failure To Obtain Patient Consent
It is a legal requirement that a dentist obtains consent from their patients before conducting any treatment. Many patients accept whatever treatment the dentist provides with very little question or understanding. Some dentists assume that patients are content to accept whatever treatment the dentist wishes to carry out as the ‘dentist knows best’, and some patients do prefer this – until the treatment goes wrong, that is. Read more
Dental negligence claims for injury
The injuries caused by dental negligence can take many forms, but all have a negative impact on the life of the victim to some degree. They may experience significant pain, inconvenience, require significant and costly further treatment or suffer the loss of teeth. Sometimes the damage caused by a dentist is permanent and cannot be remedied by further dental work. Read more
You can read Ellen Bonham’s story after a dental implant disaster left her in agony…
If you have experienced any dental issues however mild or severe due to dental treatment that you have good reason to believe was undertaken poorly, it is possible that you may have a claim for dental negligence.
Contact the Dental Law Partnership Today
If you feel that you may have been the victim of dental negligence or have suffered pain, financial loss and embarrassment as a result of dental work in England or Wales, you could be eligible to make a claim.
Call our specialist team of solicitors today on 0800 0853 823 to get the ball rolling and one step closer to getting the compensation you deserve. Our initial advice is free with no obligation to proceed.
You can read through more of our successful case studies here