This dental malpractice case study involves a patient (the plaintiff) who presented to the defendant dentist for dental implant surgery. The patient would later allege that the dentist’s care deviated from acceptable standards in dentistry in that he and his staff were negligent in the treatment and care they rendered to the patient. The patient alleged that the dentist negligently did not properly assess the patient’s dental condition, failed to obtain diagnostic x-rays, created an inadequate treatment plan, and then placed dental implants in the patient’s jawbones in a careless and negligent manner.
 
The patient alleged that the dentist’s negligence resulted in permanent injuries. The patient alleged that the dentist failed to implant #12, which was off-color and had an aesthetically poor appearance, and was apically positioned and postoperatively had no buccal plate, rendering it non-restorable, with extensive bone loss requiring bone graft surgery, tissue augmentation surgery, and ridge augmentation. The #12 screw and crown were off center and mobile, contributing to implant failure to the point where the implant spontaneously fell out of the patient’s jaw. The patient further alleged failure of dental implants #24, #25, and #26, which were also non-restorable, due to misangulation, and inadequate space between implants, as well as off-color, over contoured crowns. The patient alleged he suffered extensive decay due to open margins on the dental implants, and the need for oral surgical reconstruction surgery in multiple locations. A collapsed buccal plate near tooth #29 and location #30, secondary to an alleged improper extraction of tooth #30, also required oral and maxillofacial restoration including bone grafting and additional, future dental implant surgery.
 
The patient has since undergone multiple, otherwise unnecessary, oral surgical procedures and anticipated that he will require additional oral surgical restoration in the future. The patient contended that he suffered significant adverse impact on his activities of daily living and quality of life including pain, discomfort, and difficulty eating and drinking. The injuries caused by the dentist were claimed to be permanent.
 
The defendant dentist asserted that any complications experienced by the patient were known risks of dental implants, or the consequence of the patient’s pre-existing conditions that complicated treatment. The dentist maintained that the patient had prior, poorly performed dental treatments, such as root canals, and pre-existing bone loss, that complicated his outcomes.
 
At the conclusion of a dental malpractice trial, the jury found in favor of the patient/plaintiff only as to the defendant dentist’s treatment of the upper jaw and awarded the patient $115,000.
 
Case study reproduced with permission from Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts; Lewis Laska, Editor, 901 Church St., Nashville, TN 37203-3411, 1-800-298-6288.
 
 
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