I have been seeing a dentist in for 5 years and over this time she has undertaken a significant amount of orthodontic work including the widening of my upper and lower palletes. I have recently moved to another country temporarily and a specialist orthodontist here has informed me that the work the Dentist has undertaken was useless (and actually detrimental to my bite) and that I need to actually try to get my teeth back to the way they were 14 months ago before she started. I wonder if I can file a malpractice suit against this dentist for both the costs incurred but more so the pain and emotional problems that this expansion plate has caused me for what appears to be no good reason. EG I couldn't talk properly for about a month when I first wore it! this now seems to have been completely unecessary. Also the plate cause big unsightly gaps in my teeth which made me depressed, self conscious and even stopped me going out with friends (I know this sounds stupid but it's true) Advice?
2007-03-09 18:49:38 · 7 answers · asked by James 1 in Health ➔ Dental
Sounds terrible, but it was your choice to have this done to start with.
U will lose alot of money hiring lawyers on this one.
2007-03-09 18:58:44 · answer #1 · answered by sunflare63 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If you are in the US, any dentist who undertakes orthodontic treatment is held to the same standards as a specialist. If you are evaluated by a board-certified orthodontist who says that your teeth have been messed up, I'd say that the first dentist committed malpractice and it is cause for action.
If you are in some third world country now and that's where they say you were messed up, you might just be part-way through treatment and they just don't know what they are looking at.
Get evaluated by an orthodontist in the US and then consider what your course of action will be.
Without actually SEEING your teeth and records prior to treatment, it would not be possible for anyone on-line to say whether you were a victim of malpractice, though.
2007-03-10 16:00:00 · answer #2 · answered by Picture Taker 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sort of depends what country you got your teeth done. If you're planning on suing a dentist back in India, or some other 3rd world country, you don't have a chance, but Canada or the USA, you have a chance.
My question is what country did you get all that orthodontic work done, and what country are you in now? How are you sure your new dentist isn't wrong?
2007-03-10 05:30:37 · answer #3 · answered by Allen S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unless there was some serious risk or life-threatening harm done, you wouldn't have much of a case.
Just because you aren't happy with the results does not mean the dentist did anything wrong. Just because another dentist (in another country no less!) has a different opinion, doesn't make it wrong either. Standards and training in medicine and dentistry vary widely from country to country.
I mean, basically what you'd be doing is saying "I got a second opinion that conflicts with the first and now I want to sue." I know you went through a lot and now feel as though your time has been wasted and you've been cheated out of something. It doesn't add up to a lawsuit though.
(If it did, I'd be suing *my* ortho right now, but life goes on...)
2007-03-09 19:06:23 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
this would not sound to me like it can be a good malpractice case. maximum dentists require that their sufferers sign consent varieties until now they do any variety of oral surgical technique. The consent that we use in my workplace needless to say states that there is a danger of a bite of enamel being left in place, and that that's a threat that extra surgical technique could opt to be performed sooner or later. so some distance as lacking the enamel, that's a threat that this became an impacted enamel, that became up against the foundation of the enamel in front, and it became not element of the plan for extractions. with out seeing your xrays and analyzing your medical care plan, there's no way for me to comprehend. The criminal professional you talked to is powerful, malpractice isn't common to tutor.
2016-10-01 21:11:42 · answer #5 · answered by leisinger 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you will need that dentist to testify for you, and it wouldn't hurt to get another opinion from maybe a maxiofacial dr who is willing to testify. you are going to need expert drs on your side, at least one. i assume you have before and after pic and x-rays. you have a good case if you have that. i also assume you have medical records that show you got meds for this and were depressed. if you have this type of stuff, you can sue. i recommend small claims court (depending on the amount in your state you are allowed to sue for); paying an attorney may not be profitable. if you had some very bad suffering and were mamed or something fairly severe, then you could get an attorney and sue in civil court.
i just talked to a lady who sued for a very similar case, and she won. so, yes, you can and you should if you feel it was malpractice. i do not know if all dentists carry liability insurance, so you should find that out before deciding which court to sue in. you might call a local medical malpractice atty in the phonebook who has free consultations and go talk to one.
2007-03-09 22:23:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
You absolutely have a case of malpractice.
Having your appearance worsened i harmful to your emotional health every day.
Having someone perform unnecessary work that you have to have reversed means you have obviously been mistreated.
See an atty.
2007-03-10 01:17:30 · answer #7 · answered by Egyptian 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋