Dental Malpractice Examples

In 2017, the United States Health Department (or abbreviated as HHS) reported that dentists perform over 500,000,000 procedures each year in America. Even dentists who have the best intentions can commit the act of malpractice. Malpractice is defined as the act of illegal, negligent, or unprofessional treatment in the workplace by a licensed doctor, lawyer, or public figure. If a dentist does not pay attention while doing their work and in accordance with the level of care that they should, they can actually misdiagnose a patient. This is a very big tragedy because it can lead to worsening of a condition, or even death. Below are several examples of malpractice:

• Not Reading Over a Patient’s Allergy Chart First. This can lead to the wrong medication being administered and can result in death.

• Misdiagnosis. Severe medical problems in a long-term complications can result from a misdiagnosis, because the patient can be receiving unnecessary procedures and treatments for problems that do not exist.  Even technology can be the cause of this, because it can picked up on any type of dental abnormalities or flaws. Also, by communicating to a patient that they need procedures that they do not really need, a dentist is automatically committing malpractice.
• Wrong tooth extractions. Tooth extraction can lead to know practice because oftentimes dentists do not explain appropriate care to the patient and this results in avoidable discomfort for the patient and medical problems.Sometimes, they even pull the wrong tooth!

• Not identifying oral cancer fast enough. A dentist should always monitor his or her patients for oral cancer. Oral cancer usually appears first as discomfort in the mouth or face and can be diagnosed by a dentist. A dentist should be able to refer a patient for the appropriate care and tests. Cancer screenings should be performed by dentists routinely on each patient.

• Wrong Dose. Dentists have the power to give powerful medications to their clients. If they do not administer the drugs with the necessary care, it can cause dangerous side effects to patients. A common side effect is respiratory depression. This can be very lethal, but also very avoidable. Allergic reactions are also common, but if a dentist is attentive to their patients’ medical histories, there should be no problem.  

Schedule a Check Up Today!

By getting a checkup with a dentist, you can get a thorough evaluation of your oral health. Do not hesitate to let your dentist know if you are currently enduring any discomfort or pain, so they can do their best to get you in as soon as possible. You may also consider scheduling an appointment with an orthodontist San Clemente, CA residents rely on so that you can discuss your options for correcting your teeth.

Thank you to our friends and contributors at John Redmond Orthodontics for their insight into orthodontics and dental care.