Settle or Sue: How to Respond to a Dental Injury

Whether you have dealt with this issue or not, dental injuries are a highly common problem among Americans of all ages. In fact, experts assert that more than 5 million teeth are injured or outright knocked out each year. Additionally, there is $500 million spent each year on repairing and replacing these injured teeth. Even worse, 80% of traumatic dental injuries affect the top front, or most visible, teeth. While sports-related injuries are a common cause, these injuries can occur for an array of issues. In fact, if you are not careful enough to research credible dental practices, you can become injured by the dentist. That said, the following is a short guide of what to do if you are the victim of a dental injury.

Non-Office Related Injuries

As mentioned, your dental injury can occur in a variety of locations and in an array of ways. How and when the injury occurs matters. For instance, if you experience a dental injury during a car accident, you should certainly include this is your claim. If the insurance company fails to provide sufficient funding for you to repair your tooth problems and to account for lost wages, you may want to solicit the help of a legal professional.

On another note, if your child is playing with a friend in school and becomes injured, whether you have insurance or not, you may want to consult with a legal professional to go after the child's parents and/or the school to pay for any outstanding charges not covered by your insurance, as well as to pay for any pain and suffering the child endured. If your child gets a dental injury while playing sports, your course of action depends on whether malice or reckless behavior is involved. If so, it is possible to sue to have your dental bills covered by the child's parent as well. Either way, how you proceed in these cases depends on who is at fault for causing the injury.

Dental Office Related Injuries

On the whole, dental malpractice can be difficult to prove. This is because the patient is often responsible for taking care of their teeth after procedures. Therefore, some infections and other issues can occur as a result of not following the aftercare instructions. Either way, if a dental office is outright negligent and has caused you a dental injury of any kind, you can sue them for the damages. The following are the most common types of lawsuits against dentists:

• Complications from Anesthesia
• Oral Nerve Injuries
• Failure to Diagnose Oral Cancers and Diseases
• Problems Related to Tooth Extractions
• Root Canal Injuries
• Novocain Complications
• Complications Associated with Bridges and Crowns
• Infections from Surgeries and other Procedures
• Wrongful Death

Dental injuries can be painful, embarrassing, and even traumatic for the victims. To avoid these injuries, only entrust your dental care with reputable dental professionals. Although it can be tempting to try to work this out with the office yourself, if you or a loved one have experienced any of these issues at the hands of a dentist, you should be sure to consult with a legal professional you can trust.