Indianapolis Attorneys for Wisdom Tooth Extraction Dental Malpractice
Dentists, orthodontists, oral surgeons, dental hygienists and other dental professionals owe their patients the same duty of care that medical professionals owe to their patients. Dental malpractice can occur when a dental professional fails to properly treat, fails to perform a timely or correct diagnosis, or causes injury to a patient as a result of their actions. Failure to inform the patient of the available treatment options along with the associated risks and benefits can also be considered an example of Indiana dental malpractice.
Wisdom tooth extraction
The American Dental Association states wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, may appear in adults between the ages of 17 and 21. Not all people develop wisdom teeth. Those who do develop wisdom teeth may have anywhere from one to four teeth located in the upper and/or lower jaw. A dentist will often monitor a patient’s mouth to ensure that there is room for the wisdom teeth to move into position and that mouth tissues in the area are healthy.
A dentist may recommend removal of wisdom teeth to avoid problems or as treatment if a patient experiences pain, infection, gum disease, or tooth decay around the wisdom teeth.
Wisdom teeth may be extracted by your dentist or an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The dental provider, whether it is a general dentist or an oral and maxillofacial surgeon should consult with the patient and advise them of risks involved with any procedure they recommend. Dental malpractice can occur if a dental professional fails to advise the patient of the risks involved in a procedure or performs the procedure negligently.
Severed nerve after wisdom tooth extraction claim
In a case where a 40-year old woman underwent extractions of both of her wisdom teeth, the patient’s lingual nerves were severed. Although these complications can occur, wisdom tooth extractions in patients older than 40 years old have a much higher risk of damage to the nerve, especially in lower wisdom tooth extractions. In this case, the dentist severing the nerves did not refer the patient immediately for microsurgery repair of the severed nerves and the patient suffered loss of feeling in her tongue and an inability to taste food. If these nerve repairs are delayed more than 60 days, the odds of repairing the nerves for full function are greatly diminished. Case settled for significant amount.
Your Dental Malpractice Claim
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of dental negligence, you may have an Indiana dental malpractice claim. Our experienced Indianapolis medical and dental malpractice attorneys.
