1 in Every 7 Patients Suffers from Dental Malpractice Daily

(Newswire.net — March 25, 2016) Philadelphia, PA — Pennsylvania’s 8,763 practicing dentists are, for the most part, highly professional, ethical medical practitioners. Just about every month, however, the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry is forced to reprimand or otherwise discipline at least one dentist working in the state. Many of these actions include revocations of license to practice dentistry for truly alarming reasons, such as moral turpitude, drug or alcohol abuse, sexual misconduct or gross negligence. Everything from improper recordkeeping to extracting healthy teeth can result in undue pain, suffering and a lifetime of damage. When a dentist abuses the public trust and medical guidelines governing the profession, patients are put at risk and malpractice lawsuits may be the only recourse. In 2014 alone (the year of the most recently available data), dentists and their insurers had to pay out in 50 medical malpractice cases in Pennsylvania. This included payment in one case above $500,000.

Disciplinary Actions

Imagine being a patient of a Pennsylvania dentist such as Alfred George Khallouf and waking up to learn your “dentist” has been found guilty, yet again, of criminal activity. Khallouf had already been found guilty in eight previous instances of retail theft when he was arrested once more in June of 2015 for attempting to steal products from a retail store. It was not until July 10, 2015 that the state Board of Dentistry indefinitely suspended his dental license. Khallouf’s may be an extreme case in which the morals and criminal actions of a Pennsylvania dentist compel the state Board to take a stand, but other, far more common reasons for dental malpractice include:

• Failure to keep accurate and proper records
• Failure to take a complete medical history to guard against dangerous drug interactions
• Harming the patient’s jaw in the process of repairing a tooth
• Damaging nerves that affect a patient’s ability to taste, chew or feel sensation in the tongue
• Neglecting to spot oral diseases such as cancer

Patient Recourse

When you or a loved member of your family receives dental work that results in pain, defective crowns, or complications from anesthesia, you often have no avenue of recourse but to seek a competent attorney. You need the full protection and strong advocacy of experienced lawyers who can help you recover:

• Lost wages from missed work
• Damages for pain and suffering
• Expenses from correcting malpractice errors

The National Practitioner Data Bank tells us these dental malpractice cases are far more common than most of us realize. The harm these negligent dentists cause is pervasive and can affect work, leisure and family time. When dental malpractice affects your life, turn to the law firm of Ginsburg & Associates, where trained investigators and lawyers can help you reach a favorable dental malpractice settlement.