Dental Malpractice

The deterring image of a dentist making his way into your mouth holding a sharp object is not only legitimate for kids anymore. Adults have reason to be cautious as well. According to a study conducted between 2006 to 2016 by the National Practitioner Data Bank, 3,131 dental hygienists were involved in occupational malpractice resulting in 49 practitioner error payments and 3,676 negative action practitioner reviews. The data suggests some dental hygienists might have had actions reported against them twice.

Dental work is tedious for many reasons. Dental practice is different from medical practice, because it involves a direct contact with the body part at work, the teeth. Dentists are like sculptress that have very precise work to do, otherwise the dental work could end up looking odd or wrong. However, no one actually considers how dental malpractice can lead to serious issues.

Dentists deal with the gums, and they deal with the strongest bones inside the body. If a dentist accidently tears your gum while performing a crown insertion, you could end up bleeding too much. When you lose too much blood during a procedure it could end up resulting in needing an emergency blood transfusion.

If you or someone you know has been injured by dental malpractice, it’s crucial you contact an experienced personal injury attorney immediately.

Lawyer for Dental Malpractice in Atlanta, GA

If you had dental work done that led you to the emergency room or to a serious accident, then you do not have to face everything alone. If you seek legal counsel from an experienced lawyer, like The Balams Firm, you have taken the right steps. ReShea Balams will listen to your story and file a lawsuit on your behalf.

If you are in the Atlanta or Alpharetta area, call ReShea Balams today at (404) 445-2005. The Balams Firm also works with clients in the cites of Lawrenceville, Marietta, East Point, Forest Park, Smyrna, and much more. Seek ReShea Balams for a free consultation today.


Overview of Dental Malpractice in Georgia


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Causes of Dental Malpractice

Dental malpractice can be caused by various errors inside the dentist’s office. It could include an error from the dental hygienist, orthodontist, dentist, or the dental staff working there. An error may pertain to the hygiene used in the dentist’s office. If negligence is a part of the reason why your incident took place in the first place, then you could have enough grounds for a lawsuit. If the office staff was negligent in your care, they might at be fault for your accident.

The top medical malpractice acts that take place inside the dental office are the following:

• The extraction of a wrong tooth
• Unable to diagnose a critical condition
• No follow-up on a severe issue
• Bad management of dental staff
• Miscommunication stating procedural risks and aftercare
• Giving anesthesia in the wrong way


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Effects of Dental Malpractice

Some suffer from an instant reaction at the dental office’s like instant bleeding or finding out your dentist extracted the wrong tooth. Others experience the effects of dental malpractice after the fact. If you have a recent dental procedure like the insertion of a crown, braces, or a root canal procedure you might experience various symptoms as a result. The dentist will usually cover some common symptoms you are bound to experience after the procedure. However, if the symptoms you experience fall out of those given at discharge, there might be something else going on.

Symptoms of various dental malpractice injuries can include:

• Bad swelling
• Pain in the area
• Sensitive teeth
• Gum bleeding
• Pressure
• Dizziness/Nausea
• Sore throat
• Sores in mouth area
• Ear pain

The dentist might have no reasonable explanation for these symptoms, and you are now facing the effects of their dental malpractice alone. If you never thought that a common dental procedure could lead to the symptoms you are feeling now, you might want to reassess the situation.

Dental malpractice is an umbrella term for mild to severe injuries related to negligence. You might require something as serious as a blood transfusion because of loss of blood during or after a dental procedure. However, even something as small as a hygienic issue could have caused an infection, and now you face more medical attention because of your dental’s staff’s negligent actions.


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Can I File a Dental Malpractice Case in Georgia?

The act of having to distrust your dental office and file a claim against them can become a stressful situation. You might also now be dealing with pain and economic losses because of it. If you seek legal counsel from a local lawyer specializing in dental malpractice cases, the process might be easier than you think.

The attorney will help analyze the situation and determine if it’s worth pursuing under a court of law. They will likely address the severity and the after effect of the procedure that took place and connect the dots between the two. They will give you a different perspective from a legal point of view and might come up with connections that you might not have through of at the beginning.

Georgia’s statute of limitations explains the definition of a medical malpractice action and what is worth pursuing under a court of all. Overall, a plaintiff can pursue a lawsuit when a healthcare provider or health servicing place with a credible authorization performed the service or care that resulted in physical damages.

The state of Georgia has a specific timeline referred to as a statute of limitations for when you can file your medical malpractice case. The following section, 9-3-71 rules a medical malpractice action must appear before the law, at most, two years following the physical injury or fatality. However, no medical malpractice case can appear in front of the court if the original medical malpractice interaction happened more than five years ago.


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Additional Resources

American Dental Association Resources — The American Dental Association has resources including seeking dental help to assess your emergency. They also provide publications regarding dental work that might be useful to read for teeth care. This will provide an overview of dental procedures.

Sepsis Alliance Dental Care Help — Sepsis Alliance provides specific information regarding the aftermath of your dental procedure such as symptoms of an infection or treatment of your symptoms. After reading the symptoms you can determine whether you have an infection. You can also find some helpful dental hygiene tips following your procedure.


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Attorney for Dental Malpractice in Atlanta, GA

Falling victim to a dental malpractice is no fun. No one wants to consider that their dental practitioner was involved in the incident causing their own or a loved one’s serious or fatal accident. However, if you suspect this to be true, you need to seek legal help now. At The Balams Firm you can count that an attorney will meet with you for a consultation free of attachment and help you decide what to do next.

The Balams Firm specializes in dental malpractice cases in the Georgia region and will work with you.ReShea Balams sees clients in Atlanta and Alpharetta, as well as clients in the areas of Milton County, Decatur County, Cobb County, and much more. Call (404) 445-2005 to get a free consultation with ReShea Balams today.

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

  • 5 stars
    The Balams Firm did a wonderful job handling my personal injury case. I was able to get in touch with ReShea the day after my accident and she was very understanding and helped me find the care that I needed to address my specific needs.
    - Jazmyn F.
  • 5 stars
    Very professional attorney and team. Very responsive and kept me abreast of the process the entire time.
    - Anthony J.
  • 5 stars
    ReShea and I have litigated against each other for years and she very quickly earned my respect for her competency and professionalism. Since, I have referred many clients to her and they have all been exceptionally happy with her results and service.
    - LeRyan L.
  • 5 stars
    The Balams Law Firm hands down in the best in Atlanta. I had a injury at a hotel in Atlanta and I called 5 law firms, 3 of them being the big named ones you see on tv radio and they would not take me as a client. I found their number on google and talked to them and they took my case.
    - Brandon N.
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