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It's not often you think of suing your dentist, but it does happen. In fact, dental malpractice is just as serious as medical malpractice (medmal). This is why most dentists carry malpractice insurance.

Dental malpractice suits generally have smaller damage awards than for medmal. When they happen, they're generally the result of the dentist not having detected or diagnosed certain conditions.

Injuries may include death related to anesthetic use, injuries relating to dental surgery, failure to notice oral cancer or other diseases of the mouth, nerve damage and injuries to the tongue, jaw or lips.

At the root of these cases is the reasonable expectation that the patient has to receive a professional, accurate diagnosis and the correct treatment for it. The same observation may be made when you visit your family physician. This doesn't apply to every thing a dentist does, buy may apply to cases where injuries are severe and/or permanent.

The worst-case scenario would be the death of a dental patient due to the improper use of anesthesia. Infections occurring in the jaw or tooth sockets may also be quite devastating. Losing sensation or taste, having trouble talking, eating or swallowing also rank right up there as injuries that may merit a dental malpractice suit.

Even seemingly routine procedures may cause problems, such as a tooth extraction, particularly if the wrong tooth is removed, or if the patient is taking Fosamax (or any other bone metabolism regulator). The Fosamax may cause a condition called Dead Jaw.

If the dentist doesn't spot periodontal disease or oral cancer, or does something you didn't authorize or give consent for, they may also face a dental malpractice lawsuit.

If you're not sure that you have a dental malpractice suit on your hands, then take the time to talk to a qualified attorney who will look at the situation. S/he will be able to tell you if you have enough cause to file a dental malpractice lawsuit.