People trust that their dentist will do the work they need in the correct manner. While most dentists do exactly that, there are some who are negligent when they’re taking care of patients. Their patients can suffer from many issues because of that negligence.
Just like medical malpractice, dental malpractice occurs when the dentist doesn’t provide care that at least meets the requirements for the applicable standard of care. This can stem from a variety of issues.
1: Missed or delayed diagnosis
Patients who go to the dentist for care expect that they will receive an accurate diagnosis. Having delays in receiving that can lead to a lack of treatment. If a condition is completely missed, the patient can’t get care at all. In some cases, the delayed or missed diagnosis means the person can’t get a referral to a dental professional who can help them.
2: Anesthesia errors
Dentists use anesthesia during the course of some procedures. Making any errors with this can lead to traumatic results, including death in some cases. The dentist must be extremely careful when determining how much anesthesia and what type to use.
3: Improper sterilization of instruments
Instruments must be properly sterilized before they’re used on a patient. This is especially important for instruments that are used on more than one patient. Improper sterilization can lead to diseases being transmitted between patients.
Anyone who’s the victim of dental malpractice should ensure they get proper care for the issues they’re facing. They may also opt to pursue a claim for compensation. This can help them recover the cost of seeking medical care and other financial damages they’re dealing with as a result of dental malpractice. New Jersey laws have strict time limits for these cases, so you must take swift action.
