Picture the scene, you are going to the dentist for regular check-ups, it is not a cheap process, but you care about your dental hygiene, and you are no expert in that field.

You are told to continue brushing for 3 minutes in the morning and 3 minutes at night, and you are sent on your way with general knowledge.

You are financially worse off, and you have lost an hour of your day, but you are richer in the knowledge that your mouth is healthy and there is nothing to worry about! But here’s the thing – there was something to worry about:

• Loss of teeth
• Loss of jawbone
• Nerve damage
• Permanent damage to your jaw and/or gums

Your dentist has a duty of care as a health practitioner to diagnose gum disease, otherwise known as periodontal disease, and then advise you on the best course of action.

The British Society of Periodontology (BSP) states that more than 45% of adults are affected by undiagnosed gum disease. Left undiagnosed and untreated, gum disease could result in the above problems.

If your dentist has failed to diagnose you during a check-up, that dentist could be liable for not informing you that you have the symptoms of gum disease.

If a dentist has informed you that you have gum disease but failed to advise you of preventative measures to reduce the risk of further infection, then that dentist may also be negligent.

Upon receiving a diagnosis for gum disease also know as (periodontitis), you should expect to be fully informed about the nature of the disease, the risks involved, and self-prevention methods surrounding oral hygiene and lifestyle advice, including smoking and dietary advice.

Dentists should ensure that arrangements have been made for you to see a dental hygienist, if there are no improvements to your condition after initial treatment, then the dentist must refer you to a specialist for further treatment. Failures to make these arrangements equates to your dentist’s failure to care for you.

The risks involved in leaving gum disease untreated, such as a loss of teeth, can be incredibly expensive. If your dentist is proven to have been negligent throughout the diagnosis and treatment process the cost of procedures can be included as a part of a claim.

Everyone, including yourself, is entitled to a high standard of care, skill and judgment when going through a dental procedure. It is up to your dentist to uphold these standards to avoid unnecessary pain which could ultimately result in a costly treatment to correct a problem out of your control.

Our team want to help you with this and hold practitioners accountable to inadequate and frankly dangerous services. We want to compensate you for:

• Pain and Suffering: This involves the pain you have endured, alongside instances of inconvenience, social effects, and changes to your lifestyle habits such as sleeping and eating as a result of neglect.
• Future Treatment Costs: Perhaps you require an implant to replace a lost tooth as a result of undiagnosed gum disease. This also accounts for future maintenance costs, including specialist appointments.
• Past Financial Loss: Were your bills stacking up throughout the process? We seek to compensate you for past prescription costs, travel, and repeated travel to alternative specialist appointments as a result of original oversight.

In an ideal world, those in a position of care would deliver treatment effectively, carefully, and with skill.

Unfortunately, this is often not the case. We understand that being treated with negligence is both physically and emotionally painful, but we hope to alleviate this pain and put a smile back on your face.

By getting in touch with us here.