Watch out for Signs of Dental Negligence
As an Atlanta dental malpractice lawyer, I come across cases involving negligence by dental professionals every day. In many of these cases, patients might have been able to avoid the trauma of a dental injury if they had been aware of some of the warning signs of a negligent professional.
According to MNN.com, there are certain signs that should alert you to the possibility that your dentist may not be as professional as he needs to be.
Your dentist should take a complete medical history before he decides to recommend a treatment. Oral treatments are no laughing matter. Some oral conditions can affect a person's cardiac health, while certain medical conditions like arthritis, can affect a person's dental health. A complete medical history can inform your dentist about a condition that could impact the success of the procedure or treatment.
The dentist must recommend a consultation with a specialist for certain kinds of treatments, like dental implants or orthodontics. These are not procedures that should be performed by a general dentist. They are complex procedures, and require a specialized dentist who has had several hundred hours of training in the particular field of dentistry. Many improperly placed implants invade the lingual nerve and result in permanent nerve damage. If your dentist tries to convince you that he can perform a highly complicated procedure that requires a specialist, it may be time for you to look elsewhere for dental treatment.
Your dentist must be able to give you alternative treatment options. Your dentist must inform you about advantages and disadvantages of each treatment option, and help you make a decision that's best for you. This is known as "informed consent."
Your dentist must also be open to you taking a second opinion. If you're not sure about a particular procedure that your dentist has recommended to you, you should be able to take a second opinion without your dentist getting into a flutter about it.
