Home » Industry Articles » Medical Malpractice in Dental, Orthodontist and Oral Surgery Offices
Medical Malpractice in Dental, Orthodontist and Oral Surgery Offices
Routine pain may be the least of anyone's worries upon visiting a dentist, orthodontist or oral surgeon. That's because brain damage, blindness, paralysis and a host of other undesirable medical problems can develop
NEW YORK, NY, December 11, 2011 /Industry PR News/ -- Routine pain may be the least of anyone's worries upon visiting a dentist, orthodontist or oral surgeon. That's because brain damage, blindness, paralysis and a host of other undesirable medical problems can develop if these professionals aren't properly trained, highly skilled and dedicated to providing every patient with the best care possible.
Most of us tend to think that Medical Malpractice is limited to the negligent treatment of a specific bodily disorder, such as heart disease. We forget that some of the most serious medical mistakes are made in the offices of our neighborhood dentist, orthodontist or oral surgeon. Nevertheless, the majority of these doctors are fully competent professionals, able to provide us with positive, useful treatments.
Filing Complaints and Lawsuits
If you've been seriously injured, you may want to start by filing a complaint with your state's board of medical examiners that oversees dentists, oral surgeons or orthodontists. You may also want to hire an attorney and file a lawsuit alleging medical malpractice. You do not have to claim that your doctor intentionally harmed you - only that his or her incompetence was the direct cause of the serious injury inflicted upon you.
While some of the mistakes listed below cannot individually support a lawsuit, it's quite common for several to have occurred when a doctor has provided negligent care.
Questionable Dental/Orthodontic and Oral Surgery Practices and Procedures
- Failing to obtain a broad, detailed medical history from every patient;
- Failing to maintain an accurate listing of all medications being taken by a patient;
- Disregarding the need to obtain a signed, informed consent form from each patient prior to performing any major medical procedures;
- Improperly diagnosing a patient or failing to tell a patient about his or her current dental diagnosis and recommended treatment options;
- Failing to properly diagnose such significant medical problems as periodontal disease or oral cancer. Competent dentists should always make referrals to oral surgeons (or other specialists) when they think one of these conditions is present and they don't believe they can competently treat it;
- Significantly injuring a patient while handling any routine dental, orthodontic or oral surgery procedure;
- Making serious errors when choosing the drugs for sedating or otherwise treating patients -- directly causing patient injuries;
- Causing serious nerve damage to a patient's jaw, tongue or lips;
- Damaging a patient's teeth or gums by implanting a faulty bridge or crown;
- Seriously injuring a patient by choosing the wrong type of anesthesia or making a careless error while administering such drugs. This type of injury can easily cause a patient's death or some type of permanent disability;
- Causing the development of painful temporomandibular joint disorder (or TMJ syndrome);
- Causing any type of serious injury or infection by negligently treating a patient
Sample Cases of Dental Malpractice
- A teenager in Kansas suffered brain damage and is now legally blind after his dentist thought he was sedating the young man with a combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen. When the young man did not appear sedated, the dentist then administered a mixture of Fentanyl and Diazepam - and then Propofol. When the teen's heart rate faltered, the dentist gave him what he thought was 100% oxygen. As it turns out, the dentist apparently gave his patient pure nitrous oxide, robbing the young man's brain of critically needed oxygen;
- A four-year-old San Antonio boy had about ten teeth capped at a dental chain clinic, creating terrible pain for the boy. At a later date, seven of the ten capped teeth had to be pulled by dentists at UT Dental School in San Antonio. The little boy also needed treatment for infections caused by the faulty capping;
- The Internet is covered with websites where dental patients speak out about the damage done to them by dental professionals - most are trying to decide whether or not to sue or pay privately to have serious damages repaired. (The link just provided involves patients in England.) Dental errors are far too common all around the globe. Oddly enough, one woman who has appeared on The Today Show, awakened from oral surgery, only to discover that her oral surgery had left her with some type of Irish accent that she'd never before used!
Prior to having any dental, orthodontic or oral surgery performed, we each owe it to ourselves to carefully check out the reputation of any dental professional we would like to see. Be sure to ask around your neighborhood for positive referrals. If you live in the United States, always check and see if your state's dental board will tell you if any actions have been taken against the doctor you're planning to go see. Such simple precautions can help you avoid a lot of pain and sorrow.
If you or a loved one have are a victim of negligence from a physician contact the law firm of Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff LLP, New York's long standing top rated Law firm. Contact a New York Medical Malpractice Attorney today if you have questions about a possible malpractice case.
To Contact The Firm
Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff
Attorneys at Law
122 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10168
212-697-9280
http://www.medicalmalpractice.net/
---
Press release service and press release distribution provided by http://www.24-7pressrelease.com |
|
|
Press Release Contact Information:
Dan Minc
Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff
PR
122 East 42nd Street
New York, NY
USA 10168
Voice: 212-697-9280
Website: Visit Our Website |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advertise With Us |
About Us |
Contact Us