When people think about New York medical malpractice, most people do not think of dentists. This is surprising considering the common fear of going to the dentist. Just like doctors, dentists can make mistakes or fail to uphold the standards of care. Some of the consequences of this range from chronic mouth pain to infections. Consider reaching out to an experienced Florida medical malpractice lawyer if this happened to you.

What is Dental Malpractice?

In simple terms, dental malpractice is the same as medical malpractice, except with dentists or dental assistants. When a dentist or dentist assistance fails to live up to the standards of medical care, they may have committed malpractice. The trick is differentiating an unforeseen mistake from negligence.

Looking at common examples of dental malpractice can help with this. They can be broken down into postoperative chronic pain, preoperative errors, technical complications, operation errors, incorrect treatment,

and lack of information. While postoperative pain is common after dental work, chronic pain could be a sign of a mistake made by your dentist. Contact a New York malpractice lawyer to explore this further.

Preoperative errors happen when a dentist fails to examine every possible diagnosis or conducts a poor exam. This leads to misdiagnosis, administering the wrong treatment, and can worsen the patient's condition. If the dentist operates on the wrong tooth or uses the wrong procedure, the underlying problem is still there and may worsen.

Technical complications can involve misusing a dental instrument, operating on the wrong area, or defective dental equipment. Knowingly using faulty dental equipment could be considered malpractice. Operation errors happen during surgeries and other dental procedures.

Lacking information means not proving enough information to the patient about the procedure or their treatment options. This lack of informed consent can undermine patient rights to refuse treatment.   

Top Causes of Dental Malpractice

Looking at the top causes of dental malpractice can significantly help your claim. This may make it easier for you to figure out the type of negligence your dentist committed. One potential cause of dental malpractice is abusing substances readily available in their workplace like nitrous oxide, otherwise called laughing gas. A dentist under the influence of this could make a mistake during an operation.

Misdiagnoses and wrong treatments happen when a dentist rushes the intake and does not consider other causes. A failure to conduct a thorough exam or use an x-ray could contribute to this. Incompetence can also play a role, not only in misdiagnosis but also in dental operations. For example, a dentist who has no official training in surgery should not attempt surgery.

New York Medical Malpractice Attorney

Filing a dental malpractice claim may involve various obstacles. Feel free to contact Sullivan and Brill Law Firm by dialing (212) 566-1000 to talk to a Long Island personal injury attorney for a free consultation today. Our legal team of New York City lawyers can help you collect the evidence needed for compensation. We are located throughout New York City, Long Island, Kings, Bronx, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and Rockland Counties, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.