Going to the dentist can be daunting for some of us and you need to place a lot of trust in the dental professional to provide the correct treatment and in the best possible way – thankfully this is the norm and the trust is usually well placed.

However, on rare occasions, dental professionals make mistakes and when this happens it is painful and can cause damage to your teeth as well as physical and mental suffering.

If you’ve suffered a dental injury or error due to negligence or malpractice, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation.

What Is Dental Negligence?

Dental negligence is the term used for any injury or suffering caused by dental treatment or procedure, or as the result of a missed condition or misdiagnosis by your dentist.

The types of dental negligence injuries include:

• Treatment mistakes
• Nerve injuries
• Cosmetic dentistry errors
• Diagnosis delays
• Misdiagnosis

Can You Claim For Dental Negligence?

Yes, you can. If you’ve suffered unnecessary pain because of something your dentist has done or failed to do or not done properly, then you can claim for compensation.

Whether you received treatment from a private dental practice or an NHS one, you can claim.

The amount of compensation you’ll receive depends on the severity of suffering you’ve experienced due to the negligent treatment together with any financial losses you’ve incurred, including for any corrective or restorative treatments that are needed.

What Is The Claims Process?

Ideally, you should make your claim as soon as possible after the date of the incident, and within 3 years of the incident. There are exceptions to the 3-year rule but usually a claim has to be made within this time frame.

As a guide, the claims process is usually similar to this:

• Obtain dental records
  Initially, we’ll work with you to obtain dental records from your dental practice as these will form a key part of the evidence for your claim.
• Review dental records
  Your solicitor will review the records and put together a report that highlights your suffering and the grounds for your claim.
• Examine
  Sometimes, a specialist will examine your teeth and mouth to confirm the trauma you’ve suffered and the restorative treatment needed.
• Make The Claim
  Your solicitor will outline the negligence claim and send it to the dental provider. The provider will then forward it to their insurers who have 4 months to investigate the allegations and respond with either an admission or denial of liability.
• Settle
  If the dental provider admits liability, your solicitor will negotiate the amount of compensation you deserve.

Dental negligence compensation cases vary between a few months and a few years to settle, depending on the severity of trauma and if the provider admits liability.

Our specialist solicitors always work quickly and efficiently to achieve the best possible outcome in the shortest time. You will be supported at every stage of the claims process if you decide to go ahead with making a claim, to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

To find out more about making a compensation claim for dental negligence or to speak to one of our specialist solicitors about your particular injury, call Freephone 0800 988 3674  or via a Mobile 0333 200 4465 or complete a Free Online Enquiry and we will soon be in touch.