One out of seven medical malpractice cases directly involves a dental professional. Their negligence can lead to long-term complications that may affect your quality of life. A broken jaw during tooth extraction or installation of a dental implant can cause nerve damage. It may also cause problems opening your mouth, speaking, and eating. Nerve damage may cause disfigurement that may leave you with other medical bills.

You may wonder whether it is possible to sue a dentist for medical malpractice. Yes, you can! It may not be a typical occurrence, but it is possible. Here are some facts to help you decide whether your case constitutes dental malpractice.

What Is Dental Malpractice?

Dental malpractice is a legal term. Therefore, it has a specific definition. It refers to any form of negligence that causes harm to the patient. It may happen as a result of:

• Failure to diagnose an unsafe dental condition
  
  

• Failure to treat a risky dental condition
  
  

• Delayed diagnosis of oral disease
  
  

• Delayed treatment of oral disease
  
  

• Negligent dental work
  
  

• Intentional misconduct of a dental professional

Wherever you may be, the concept of dental malpractice is the same in different regions. Remember, you must be able to prove that there was an injury to sue a dental professional. The injury must result from their provision of substandard care. Four principles will help you establish proof: duty, breach of duty, damages, and causation.

Detection of Malpractice for a Broken Jaw

Dental malpractice must satisfy at least three focus points. A practitioner does not uphold the acceptable standard of care, or the treatment exceeds your informed consent. You also have to prove that the dental professional’s negligence or incompetence is the reason for your injury.

Standard of Care

During malpractice cases stemming from the dentist not giving standard care, the recommended course is not the procedure they follow. It is the injury the patient sustains. The person with injuries needs money to cover the cost of the broken jaw and the emotional pain. There is also a need for compensation if the patient needs to miss work. The dental professional will need to compensate you if you go through any of these.

Consent

Some procedures end in complications when the dentist exceeds the consent you allow. Your consent is of utmost importance. Your dentist cannot provide additional services over and above that which you permit. Failure to adhere to this will make you eligible to file a dental malpractice lawsuit.

Negligence

Negligence that leads to a broken jaw may result from several things. When detecting dental malpractice, some of them include:

• Negligent or improper administration of anesthesia
  
  

• Improper use of dental equipment
  
  

• Unnecessary extraction of several teeth or mistaking the teeth to extract
  
  

• Permanent or temporary injury to the jaw, tongue, chin, and lips
  
  

• Failure to take into account a patient’s relevant medical history

Please note that dissatisfaction with a dental professional’s services is not grounds for you to sue for a broken jaw. Look out for the focus points above.

For more information on dental malpractice, visit Arizona Dental Law Group at our Scottsdale, Arizona office. Call (602) 833-4200 to schedule an appointment today