New Jersey Dental Malpractice Lawyer

Dental Malpractice in New Jersey can cause serious health consequences, injuries and monetary damages.  As New Jersey Dental Malpractice Lawyers we can assist you in obtaining compensation for your injuries arising from dental malpractice.

Call today

 

Steven P. Lombardi, Esq 

 

973-921-2860

 

There are four different types of dental malpractice that often result in lawsuits. The first is dental malpractice that is the result of an error in treatment. Common errors in treatment may happen when a dentist performs a procedure that his or her patient is not physically healthy enough to withstand.   Another cause for dental malpractice is when dentists fail to use the proper dental techniques during a procedure this may occur due to  dentists who were not trained properly.   The third type of dental malpractice that may result in a lawsuit is when a dentist fails to check up on a patient after treatment. The standard of care generally requires dentists to follow up with their patients after procedures, especially surgical procedures. The final type of dental malpractice occurs when a dentist fails to refer a patient to a specialist when necessary.  Typically dental malpractice can result in the following injuries. 

  • Numbness and nerve damage to the face, lip, jaw or tongue
  • Chronic, debilitating pain
  • Unnecessary multiple extractions
  • Loss of teeth and bone support
  • Wrong diagnosis
  • Failure to diagnose conditions
  • Oral infections
  • Loss of taste
  • Gum disease

Infection  / Severed Nerve / Sinus Perforation

 

Dental infections sometimes require hospitalization and many patients die from the infections. Dental injuries related to severed nerves are usually permanent due to the dentist’s failure to refer or follow up the nerve injuries.  Dental Injuries resulting in sinus perforations usually arise when the dentist fails to diagnose or refer the patient for treatment of the perforations. Perforation can arise due to a bur perforating the sinus. The bur can fracture and be left in the sinus with no referral or attempt at retrieval.  Lack of diagnosis and treatment also arise with mandibular fractures and TMJ injuries.  These negligent dentists can be general dentists or even oral surgeons.

 

Endodontic Negligence

 

One of the most common cases of alleged negligence against dentists in this area is due to endodontic procedures.   The complications can include instruments left in canals, nerve and sinus perforations, air embolisms, and life-threatening infections, including fatalities. Of the life-threatening infections, these can result in brain abscesses, and osteomyelitis. These can result in death or irreversible brain damage.

 

Implant Negligence

 

In implant malpractice matters treatment planning is often found to be deficient to non-existent. Many patients with the post-operative infections suffer death as a result.

 

Substandard crown, bridge treatment

 

Most of these dental malpractice cases involve  open margins, overhanging restorations, or poor occlusion. These may result in a required full-mouth reconstruction to remediate the damages and lost implants.   There is usually a universal lack of treatment planning in these cases.

 

Periodontal disease

 

These Dental Malpractice cases involve a failure to diagnose or treat periodontal disease in a timely fashion. In the majority of these cases, X-rays are not taken routinely, and periodontal probings were rarely or never recorded.

 

Orthodontics

 

In cases of orthodontic treatment complications root resorption usually is the result. Numerous teeth can be seriously affected and the majority of these teeth can be lost. Radiographs are in most cases not routinely taken.

 

Dental anesthesia complications

 

This malpractice is usually tied with extractions and can result in fatalities.

 

Dental infections

 

These infections may also result in fatalities, brain abscesses, or septic arthritis.

 

Dental injections

 

Malpractice in this area usually affects the lingual nerve or the inferior alveolar nerve.   In most cases, the dentists are aware that they had hit the nerve, but did not withdraw the needle and reinject as suggested in dental literature. In addition, the dentists usually neither follow up the injuries or refer the injured patients to be followed.

 

Adverse drug reactions

 

In most of these cases the drug administered is contraindicated by the patient's medical history.

 

TMJ and orthognathic surgeries

 

In cases of TMJ and orthognathic surgeries these procedures are sometimes performed in a substandard manner . Injuries usually require follow-up corrective surgery.

 

Oral cancer misdiagnosis

 

Many instances occur where the dentist fails to diagnose oral cancer in a timely fashion.

 

Call today

 

Steven P. Lombardi, Esq 

 

973-921-2860

 

 

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MAIN OFFICE

 

Law Office of

Steven P. Lombardi

318 Main Street

Suite 101 B

Millburn, NJ 07041

 

Phone:

973-921-2860

 

Fax:

(862)206-8021

 

Email:

steven@

lombardilawfirm.com

 

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MONMOUTH COUNTY OFFICE

 

 

Atlantic Highlands NJ 07716

 

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