Dental Nerve Damage And Malpractice: What You Need To Know

Oral medical procedures are commonly performed every day, and many do not think about the possibility of injuries. Just like any other form of medical malpractice, injuries can occur when you visit the dentist. Dental injuries can be catastrophic, impacting important nerve structures that can result in loss of taste or feeling in areas of the mouth. These injuries can be lifelong. For that reason, you should understand the importance of dental malpractice and what you can do about it:

How Does Nerve Damage Occur?

Nerve damage occurs often when teeth are removed, or orthodontia is placed in the mouth. As a dentist or orthodontist cuts the gumline or pulls a tooth incorrectly, important nerves can be severed or damaged, which results in a variety of permanent problems.

What Nerves Are Most Commonly Impacted?

There are three primary nerves which can suffer damage due to dental procedures. The mental nerve impacts the lower lip and can cause it to droop or become paralyzed. Damage to this nerve can also result in pain that can be debilitating.

The inferior alveolar nerve impacts the inside area of the gumline. Damage to this nerve can result in prolonged pain and tingling sensations. The lingual nerve is the most common nerve impacted when wisdom teeth are pulled. Nerve damage can include the permanent loss of taste as well as lifelong painful sensations. All nerve damage can also have a burning sensation and numbness as a side effect.

What Can You Do?

Once you suffer nerve damage, there may be little you can do depending on the type of damage that has been done to a particular nerve. The first thing to do is contact your attorney. You are going to need ongoing medical care for the side effects of the nerve damage, whether that is surgery, therapy, pain management, and the like.

Your attorney can help you file a medical malpractice lawsuit to help recoup some of your damages. If successful, you could win compensation for your medical expenses that were a result of your damaged nerves, lost income, and pain and suffering.

If you have experienced nerve damage after a dental procedure, be sure to maintain a record of your damages, including a log of your pain and side effects of the procedure. This will be useful evidence once your case goes before a court. Your attorney will argue that you will need years of recovery to deal with your injuries that were no fault of your own. Contact an attorney, like Mitchel Lidowsky, Esq., today for more information on your case.


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