14 hours ago · One study found nearly 60% of patients are anxious about seeing a dentist; some even have full-on dental phobia. Patients age 24 and older are more likely to fear the dentist because they’re more likely to have experienced painful dental procedures in the past. For Grumpy Gus, the best solution is to ask questions and really listen to the answers. >> Go To The Portal
Every practice has them: difficult patients. They’re the ones who try your patience, push your team’s buttons, and elicit an inward groan when you see their names on the schedule. But dealing with difficult patients is part of the job in a dental office, and if you follow some simple steps, they don’t have to be a headache.
Changes in the way one’s mouth and jaw operate. Depending on the severity of the damage, these symptoms can persist for days, months, or years. If you can show that your dentist has negligently injured a nerve, you have a dental malpractice case.
Now to have grounds for a dental malpractice case, there needs to be substantial proof of suffering. This may mean that the damage will forever impact your taste or sense of feeling. It may also mean that doing normal activities is now challenging. For example, if the way you eat, drink, or speak is affected… …you may have a case.
Commonly dental malpractice lawsuits arise from the following: 1 Anesthesia Complications 2 Failure to Diagnose Oral Diseases or Cancers 3 Injuries to Oral Nerves 4 Complications with Bridges and Crowns 5 Tooth Extraction Problems 6 Root Canal Injuries 7 Complications from Novocain 8 Infections 9 Wrongful Death
Dental Malpractice Because Of Infection. Many people negate the importance of good dental hygiene. But an infection in your mouth can get serious quick. The pulp of your tooth contains blood vessels, nerves, and tissues. And if the pulp’s infected, it can move to the bone and cause an abscess.
Now to have grounds for a dental malpractice case, there needs to be substantial proof of suffering. This may mean that the damage will forever impact your taste or sense of feeling. It may also mean that doing normal activities is now challenging. For example, if the way you eat, drink, or speak is affected…
Botched Extractions Malpractice Cases. Botched extractions are the most common cause of dental malpractice/negligence, according to this study. A big issue with extractions is when dentists sever a nerve. Severing a nerve can result a lifelong injury. It can cause paralysis, numbness, loss of taste, etc.
So again, dental care is important! If you seek help from a dentist and they mistreat or misdiagnose your condition, that may be ground s for a case. Infection post dental work is also a major cause for concern! It’s crucial that dental professionals keep things clean.
The two nerves most likely to receive injury during dentistry are the lingual nerve & the inferior alveolar nerve.
If your dentist and their staff aren’t asking the right questions, problem may arise. They also need to find out whether you’re allergic to certain medications and anesthesia. Without due diligence, medication mistakes happen. And as is the case with any medical procedure, anesthesia has to be administered with care.
That means the instruments they use, but also your mouth. Dentists need to clean wounds with care, stop bleeding, and even prescribe antibiotics when necessary. Note: In a recent failure to diagnose case involving tooth infection, the plaintiff was awarded over $2.5 million in damages.
What To Know About Dental Negligence Lawsuits. One of the most important defenses in a dental malpractice case is proper documentation. The patient’s dental record must contain a clear chronology of events, future treatment plans, and all the important communication between the dentist and patient.
There were 19 cases of failure to diagnose or treat periodontal disease in a timely fashion. All defendants were general dentists. In the majority of these cases, X-rays were not taken routinely, and periodontal probings were rarely or never recorded.
The second most common alleged negligence was due to endodontic procedures. Of the above negligence claims due to endodontic procedures, all of the defendants were general dentists. The complications included instruments left in canals, nerve and sinus perforations, air embolisms, and life-threatening infections, including four fatalities. Of the life-threatening infections, seven were due to brain abscesses, and one due to osteomyelitis. Of these eight infections, four were fatalities and four resulted in irreversible brain damage.
In the implant loss subset, two to 10 implants were lost, and treatment planning was alleged to be deficient to non-existent. The patient with the post-operative infection succumbed to the infection. In 24 of the negligence claims involving dental implant surgery, the defendants were general dentists, and one was a periodontist.
A clear treatment plan (including documentation explaining the reason for any treatment for which the patient has been billed), and. Notes were written at or near the time of the patient’s treatment. Keep in mind that many people will examine the dental record if there is a lawsuit.
To sue a dentist for medical malpractice, you must be able to prove that you suffered an injury as a result of a dentist’s provision of sub-standard care. To establish proof when suing a dentist, you will need to prove these four principles: Duty, Breach of Duty, Causation, and Damages.
Reasons to Sue a Dentist: 1 Anesthesia Complications 2 Failure to Diagnose Oral Diseases or Cancers 3 Injuries to Oral Nerves 4 Complications with Bridges and Crowns 5 Tooth Extraction Problems 6 Root Canal Injuries 7 Complications from Novocain 8 Infections 9 Wrongful Death
Ercoli recalls a patient named Michelle who wanted a smile like her namesake Michelle Pfeiffer, and another who, like the patient Levy described, presented with a number of temporary bridges and a desire to look as she did as a young woman.
Anxiety—about pain, esthetics, and costs—can heighten the emotional response and produce the “difficult” patient —the “1% of patients who cause 99% of the problems.”. When faced with patients who are unreasonable, aggressive, and demanding, dental assistants must draw upon their experience, empathy, and professional communication skills.
His consent form makes clear his use of mouth props and immobilization techniques such as papoose boards, but there are also televisions in operatories to distract patients during treatment.
For photophobic patients, there are headlamps that generate a tiny beam of light, in addition to having them wear black sunglasses. Those who are tactile-sensitive are given oral sedation to relax them and nitrous oxide to make them more comfortable and amnesic.
Gupta says patients should be informed at the very outset what can and cannot be done to restore their smile and function. “I provide a clear explanation of what is and isn’t achievable. I assure the patient again and again that we will do our best, while reminding him or her of the achievable goals. The strategy I use in these cases is underpromising and overdelivering,” she says.
Bruce Peltier, PhD, MBA, professor of psychology and ethics at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco, contends that dentistry is difficult for all involved, and prefers to focus not on difficult patients but difficult situations. “Dentistry is a challenging profession, and the work can be difficult for dentists. It is also difficult for patients—many of whom are fearful—because it can be uncomfortable or painful, as well as expensive and time-consuming,” he explains. Some of the people dentists call “difficult,” he says, are not difficult in other areas of life—only when they go to the dentist. However, he does recognize that there are patients with issues—self-centered narcissists, impossible-to-please fanatics about esthetics, and those who view themselves as victims—who can send the dental team running for cover.