Justice For Severe Errors In Oral Surgery
There is never a guarantee that dental procedures or oral surgery will solve the underlying tooth pain, gum disease or jaw pain. But the medical maxim to “first do no harm” holds true in dentistry too. When dentists and oral surgeons are careless or incompetent, they can cause permanent or catastrophic injury to the patient.
Thurston Law Offices represents victims of oral surgery gone wrong. Veteran trial lawyer Chip Thurston has helped clients across Georgia and throughout the United States recover compensation for dental malpractice. He has successfully sued dentists and hygienists, endodontists, periodontists, and oral and maxillofacial surgeons for negligence in dental procedures and surgeries.
Do you have a lawsuit for oral surgery malpractice? Thurston Law Offices provides a free consultation and case evaluation. Call 404-882-0497 anywhere in the U.S.
Investigating What Went Wrong
Chip Thurston has practiced in personal injury and medical malpractice for over 40 years, and now concentrates exclusively in dental malpractice cases. He is very well versed in the medical and legal issues, and has cultivated a nationwide network of oral surgeons, treating dentists and other experts to review cases for possible legal action.
Thurston Law Offices has handled all types of oral surgery cases, including:
Nerve Injuries – The lingual nerve (which gives the tongue feeling), the inferior alveolar nerve (which runs through the jaw and gives feeling to the gums, lip and chin) and the infraorbital nerve (which gives feeling to the cheek and face area) can all be injured due to improper dental care.
Such injuries can happen due to either anesthesia or instrumentation errors. If you have prolonged numbness or pain in your tongue, lip, chin or face after dental treatment, you may have suffered one of these injuries. Quick diagnosis and treatment by an expert qualified to treat such injuries are important and can improve the chances of a positive outcome.
Implants – The improper placement of dental implants in the lower jaw is a main cause of nerve injuries, and improper placement in the upper jaw can cause sinus injuries. This can happen if the implant is too deep or placed in the wrong position.
Tooth extractions – Tooth extractions (such as removing wisdom teeth or a broken or infected tooth) are not simple, risk-free procedures. They can lead to nerve injuries, bone loss and other complications. A surgical extraction is one where an incision or bone removal is required, as is common in molar extractions, and has an increased risk of nerve or other injury.
Root canals – Root canals are often done by specialists known as endodontists but can also be done by general dentists. Negligent handling of root canals can lead to infection or nerve injuries as well.
Crowns and veneer cosmetic dentistry – The term cosmetic dentistry covers a wide range of dental procedures, each of which requires special skills on the part of the dentist and carry their own unique set of injury risks and complications.
Bone grafting – Bone grafting, sometimes done with a sinus lift or jaw augmentation, can cause serious damage if not done properly. The choice of the bone graft material used in the procedure is crucial, both to the chance of success and the reduction of complication risks. The options are generally your own bone, cadaver bone or biomorphic protein (BMP) material.
Other maxillofacial surgery – Advanced or invasive surgery may be required to correct an overbite/underbite or cleft palate, relieve jaw pain or facial pain, remove impacted wisdom teeth, or reconstruct the jaw due to injury or disease. There is a significant risk of nerve damage and infection, plus the risks of general anesthesia.
Dental anesthesia – Depending on the procedure, dental work may be done under local anesthetic by injection into the gums in the mouth or general anesthetic by intravenous (IV) injection into the arm. Each has its own set of risks. Local anesthesia can cause nerve injury either by way of the needle hitting the nerve or the anesthetic solution itself burning the nerve – which is especially so if the solution injected by the dentist was 4% strength, such as a product known as Articaine, Septocaine or Citanest. General anesthesia can result in loss of airway, brain injury, cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest, and even death.
Oral surgeries frequently require general anesthesia (sedation). As with any surgery, there is a risk of brain damage or death if the anesthetic is not properly administered and closely monitored throughout the procedure. Chip Thurston has represented families in wrongful death lawsuits after their loved ones unexpectedly died from complications of oral surgery.
Oral cancer – Regular oral cancer screening is one of the most important exams a dentist can perform. If you have been going to a dentist regularly for cleanings and exams, and then learn you have a diagnosis of advanced oral cancer, there may have been a missed diagnosis, and your prognosis might be different if the dentist had made a timely diagnosis.
Explore Your Oral Surgery Malpractice Case
Chip Thurston knows how to identify the negligence or substandard conditions that led to tragic outcomes of dental surgery. He holds dentists, dental offices and hospitals accountable for the financial losses (medical intervention, lost income) and the personal harm (pain and suffering, permanent impairment).
It costs nothing to find out if you have a case, and there are no upfront costs to you to bring a lawsuit. The initial consultation is free (in person or by phone), and Mr. Thurston may be able to travel to you. You do not owe attorney fees or expenses unless a recovery is made. Call 404-882-0497 or use the online contact form.