Woman Claims Lack of Informed Consent for Removal of Pre-Existing Bridge and Crown Work and Other Work – Defense Verdict

The plaintiff/patient, age forty-seven, alleged negligence and lack of informed consent in removing her pre-existing bridge and crown work in March 2009. The patient also claimed that the defendant dentist improperly over-prepared and ground down all of her teeth, leaving only stubs. The patient argued that the defendant dentist then installed over-sized and poor-fitting temporary crowns. The patient claimed that she thought she was only going to undergo two implants. The patient maintained that she will now require gum surgery and crown lengthening. The patient claimed that the defendant dentist’s work caused her to suffer from a speech impediment, difficulty eating, weight loss, bleeding and irritated gums and embarrassment due to the temporary crowns falling out in public.

The defendant dentist claimed that the patient had sought full mouth restoration and maintained that there was informed consent. The defendant dentist denied any negligence in the preparation of the patient’s teeth, and that the patient’s teeth had previously been prepared for prior crowns and bridgework which made them already reduced in size before he began work, and that the oversized temporary crowns were necessary to increase her vertical dimension due to a collapsed bite. The defendant dentist also claimed that the patient had failed to mitigate her damages in failing to obtain permanent crowns or implants by the time of trial almost six years later. The defendant dentist also claimed that the patient’s problems were also related to her history of poor oral hygiene and non-compliance with prior dentists’ advice.

According to reports, a defense verdict was returned.

With permission from Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts; Lewis Laska, Editor, 901 Church St., Nashville, TN 37203-3411, 1-800-298-6288.