This type of dental negligence relates to instances when a dental professional fails to appropriately treat a condition that you, their patient, suffers from. There could be a few different errors made by your dentist that lead up to their failure to treat you effectively.
These include:
- Failure to examine or check the oral health of the patient properly
- Failure to correctly diagnose the condition, despite evidence
- Failure to recommend an appropriate treatment path for the patient to try to rectify the condition
If your dentist fails to listen to you when you try to explain about a problem you’re having with your teeth or doesn’t seem to take your complaint about pain, sensitivity or other symptoms seriously, they could be overlooking an oral health condition. If, by failing to properly treat you, the condition becomes worse, causes pain and suffering or means that you need to have further treatment to rectify or mitigate the issue, you may be eligible to make a compensation claim.
Common conditions that dentists may fail to treat effectively
While most dentists are highly skilled, dedicated and treat their patients with a high level of skill, care and professionalism, this is sadly not always the case. Sometimes, dentists can make avoidable mistakes, miss evidence, offer the wrong treatment, or otherwise fail in their duty of care to treat you effectively. Some of the most common conditions that dentists can fail to notice or treat appropriately, include:
- Gum disease
- Periodontal disease (a severe form of gum disease)
- Oral cancer
- Serious tooth decay
- The need for fillings
- The need for root canal treatment
- The need for an extraction
