Call now for your

Free Consultation:

7 Common Reasons to Sue a Dentist for Malpractice

If you’ve ever felt wronged by a dentist, you might have wondered if you could sue them for malpractice. There are seven common reasons people might sue a dentist: like getting injured during treatment, feeling their treatment was done poorly, or not being properly informed about risks.

Others might sue if their dentist breached confidentiality, made unnecessary procedures, or failed to diagnose a serious condition. If you’ve experienced any of these issues, you might have a case to sue your dentist.

Common Forms of Dental Malpractice

Misdiagnosis and Failure to Diagnose

This is when the dentist gets the problem with your teeth wrong or misses it altogether.

Improper Treatment Procedures

This happens when the dentist doesn’t do the right things to fix your teeth or does things in the wrong way.

Surgical Errors

These are mistakes that happen during surgeries in your mouth, like when the dentist accidentally hurts something they shouldn’t.

Prescription Medication Errors

This is when the dentist gives you the wrong medicine or the wrong amount of medicine to help with your teeth problems.

Lack of Informed Consent

This means the dentist didn’t tell you all the important information about your treatment, like the risks or other options you might have.

Common Signs of Dental Malpractice

Persistent pain or discomfort after treatment: If your teeth or gums still hurt a lot even after the dentist has done something to help, like fill a cavity or pull a tooth, it might mean something went wrong.

Infections or complications post-procedure: If you notice things like swelling, pus, or a bad taste in your mouth after dental work, it could be a sign of an infection or other problem caused by the treatment.

Unusual symptoms or reactions to treatment: Sometimes, you might feel weird or have strange things happening in your mouth after seeing the dentist. It’s important to pay attention to these and tell your dentist about them.

Additional dental problems arising from previous treatment: If you had dental work done and then later on you notice new problems with your teeth or gums that weren’t there before, it could be because something went wrong with the earlier treatment.

How Can I Prove Dental Malpractice?

In these cases, you need to prove four things, which are

Duty of care owed by dentists to their patients

Dentists have a responsibility to take good care of their patients and make sure they do their best to keep them safe and healthy during treatments.

Breach of duty through negligence or substandard care

If a dentist doesn’t do what they’re supposed to do or doesn’t do it well, like not following safety procedures or making mistakes during treatment, it’s called negligence. This means they’ve broken their promise to take care of their patients.

Causation: Linking the dentist’s actions to the patient’s harm

This means showing that what the dentist did or didn’t do directly caused harm to the patient. For example, if a dentist pulled the wrong tooth and that caused pain or other problems, that would be causation.

Damages suffered by the patient as a result of malpractice

If a patient is harmed because of a dentist’s mistake or negligence, they may suffer in different ways, like pain, additional medical expenses, or emotional distress. These are called damages, and they’re what the patient may seek compensation for in a legal case.

Reasons to sue a dentist

Statute of Limitations for Filing a Dental Malpractice Suit

The statute of limitations for filing a dental malpractice suit sets a specific time period within which a patient must take legal action if they believe they’ve been harmed by a dentist.

This time limit varies based on location and the circumstances of the case. Understanding this deadline is crucial, as missing it could mean losing the opportunity to seek legal recourse. It’s important to be aware of your rights and the timeframe for taking action, as this ensures you have the opportunity to pursue justice if you’ve been harmed by dental malpractice.

Seeking legal advice promptly can help you navigate the statute of limitations and make informed decisions about your next steps.

Compensation in Dental Malpractice Lawsuits

Types of damages sought in malpractice cases

When someone files a dental malpractice lawsuit, they’re often seeking compensation for the harm they’ve suffered. This can include things like medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages if they couldn’t work, and even compensation for emotional distress.

Factors influencing the amount of compensation awarded

The amount of compensation awarded in a dental malpractice case can depend on a few things. This might include the severity of the harm suffered, the extent of the negligence or mistake by the dentist, the cost of medical treatment needed to fix the problem, and how much the patient’s life has been affected by what happened.

These factors can all play a role in determining how much compensation someone might receive as a result of a malpractice lawsuit.

Get Help From Our Dental Malpractice Lawyer In Chicago For Your Dental Injury Compensation

If you’ve been hurt by a dentist’s mistake in Chicago, don’t wait. Contact our dental malpractice lawyer at (312) 598-0917  and get the compensation you deserve for your dental injury. We’re here to help you understand your rights and guide you through the legal process.


Interesting Reads: 
Request a Free Consultation

No, thank you. I do not want.
100% secure your website.
Request a Free Consultation

No, thank you. I do not want.
100% secure your website.

Request a Free Consultation

Skip to content