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Posts Tagged ‘dental injury’




Burns from Dental Handpieces

The FDA alerted dental health professionals on December 12, 2007, about the risks associated with poorly maintained electrical dental handpieces, including third degree burns. This problem is not limited to dentistry, either. Rotary surgical handpieces have been linked to third degree burns in patients as well, and health care professionals were notified in July 2003.

When dental devices are not maintained, they can build up heat at the head of the handpiece attachment, which results in patient burns. Some burns are so severe that they require plastic surgery to correct the injury. Because patients are often anesthetized, the patient will not notice the injury until after significant tissue damage has occurred, and the injury usually occurs unbeknownst to the dentist.
 
The handpieces are used to cut tooth and bone and extract teeth. However, the handpieces can overheat during any type of procedure. Dental professionals are advised to vigilantly maintain handpieces according to instructions, to have routine service conducted, and to train personnel to properly clean and maintain the equipment.
 
Also, the FDA advises dentists to visually inspect each piece of equipment before use and to immediately repair or discard any equipment that appears worn or defective. If you have been injured by a dental handpiece, contact a personal injury attorney immediately.


Electrical Dental Handpiece Burn

The FDA alerted dental health professionals on December 12, 2007, about the risks associated with poorly maintained electrical dental handpieces, including third degree burns. This problem is not limited to dentistry, either. Rotary surgical handpieces have been linked to third degree burns in patients as well, and health care professionals were notified in July 2003.

When dental devices are not maintained, they can build up heat at the head of the handpiece attachment, which results in patient burns. Some burns are so severe that they require plastic surgery to correct the injury. Because patients are often anesthetized, the patient will not notice the injury until after significant tissue damage has occurred, and the injury usually occurs unbeknownst to the dentist.
 
The handpieces are used to cut tooth and bone and extract teeth. However, the handpieces can overheat during any type of procedure. Dental professionals are advised to vigilantly maintain handpieces according to instructions, to have routine service conducted, and to train personnel to properly clean and maintain the equipment.
 
Also, the FDA advises dentists to visually inspect each piece of equipment before use and to immediately repair or discard any equipment that appears worn or defective. If you have been injured by a dental handpiece, contact a personal injury attorney immediately.


Dental Malpractice

It’s scary going to the dentist, especially for children and people who were injured by a dentist before or had to go through a painful procedure.

Dental malpractice occurs when dentists or dental hygienists or other assistants practice dentistry in a negligent manner. This includes using faulty or damaged equipment and using poor dentistry methods. Dental malpractice results in patient injury or death. Injuries from dental malpractice include infections, nerve damage, unnecessary loss of teeth, pain and lacerations. Unfortunately, dental malpractice occurs too often.

Dental malpractice includes:
  • negligent dental work
  • failure to diagnose or treat oral conditions
  • delayed diagnosis or treatment of oral conditions
  • intentional misconduct
  • failure to obtain informed consent before beginning treatment

A lawsuit may be brought if the dentist or any type of dental assistant, including dental hygienists, dental assistants, dental lab technicians and even receptionists, violates an acceptable standard of dental care and acts in negligent or incompetent manner or acts with intentional misconduct. If you or a loved one is a victim of dental malpractice, contact a personal injury attorney immediately to have your questions answered.

Injuries sustained by dental malpractice include:
  • injury to the lips, teeth, gums, face, jaw and/or chin
  • loss of taste
  • nerve damage
  • wrongful death
  • failure to diagnose
  • failure to treat
  • failure to refer to a specialist
  • infection
  • injuries associated with unnecessary surgery or extraction
  • lacerations or other painful wounds

Stay safe by making sure your dentist has all the necessary education and comes highly recommended by others. Dentistry education includes a minimum of two years of pre-dental college education, passing the Dental Admissions Test, four years of dental school including graduation from dental school, two to four years of postgraduate education and practice and in some states, dentists have to pass the state dentistry test. You can also consider working with a board-certified dentist. Board-certified dentists are held to the highest standards of dentistry. Visit www.abgd.org to find a board-certified dentist in your area.

However, remember that even if your dentist is well educated, highly-recommended and board certified, dental malpractice can happen.
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