Just about everybody knows hospitals and other medical facilities that cause a patient harm through either direct action or neglect can be held legally liable via a medical malpractice suit. Not all patients realize, however, that there are certain circumstances where dentists can also be held accountable for their neglectful or injurious actions. Below are just a few of the most common reasons dental patients choose to contact a Dental Malpractice Attorney in Bedford for help filing a lawsuit.
Errors in Treatment
Dental treatments are often quite expensive, so when a dental procedure is performed incorrectly or on a patient who should not be considered a good candidate for the procedure, the patient may be left with substantial bills and nothing to show for them. One common example is the placement of implants in patients who are not healthy enough or do not have the right bone structure to accept them.
Improper Technique
Failure on the part of dentists to use proper techniques due to inexperience or pure negligence can lead to painful injuries and even substantial dental damage. If these injuries or the damage incurred result in out-of-pocket medical or dental bills, patients may want to seek damages to help pay for them.
Failure to Follow Up on Treatments
Once a procedure has been completed, the dentist responsible should always schedule a follow-up appointment with his or her patient. When this doesn’t happen, patients sometimes find themselves experiencing unnecessary complications. This type of negligent behavior is unacceptable.
Failing to Offer Appropriate Referrals
When general dentists are unable to complete a procedure due to inexperience or lack of adequate equipment, they are supposed to refer their patients to a specialist who can. Failure to offer this information, or attempts at offering inadequate treatment, can sometimes be causes for filing a malpractice suit.
Failure to Diagnose Oral Cancer
One of the purposes of routine dental screenings is to ensure early diagnosis of oral cancer. If a patient has been showing up for his or her routine appointments and finds he or she has oral cancer that has progressed to an advanced stage, it can be extremely harmful to the patient’s health and could even result in death.
What Now?
Any patient who has experienced these issues may want to consider hiring a Dental Malpractice Attorney in Bedford to explore options. Contact us for legal help to get started.
