Children’s Dental Negligence
February 11, 2022
Children’s dental negligence is a serious problem. If a child experiences dental negligence from a medical professional, then it can affect the way they live their entire life. That is why dealing with this issue is important regarding psychological and physical health.
Children’s Dental Negligence
One of the main causes of children’s dental negligence is delays in diagnosis, or misdiagnosis. when a dental professional fails to spot signs and symptoms of dental problems, or fails to refer them for further treatment, then it can cause the problems to be misdiagnosed. This can cause many problems later in life.
Tooth decay, or dental caries, is the most common dental infection in children. If a dental professional fails to diagnose and treat these, then it can lead to further suffering and can cause the problems to get worse.
Effects of untreated dental caries include:
- Pain
- Difficulty eating
- Infection
- Lack of appetite
- Lethargy
- Malocclusion (bite problems)
Child dental neglect has many long-term impacts. The main professionals who are responsible for identification, intervention and treatment of child dental neglect are dental practitioners. If they fail to spot these, then you may be able to make a children’s dental negligence claim.
Other forms of dental negligence include:
- Extracting the wrong tooth
- Not extracting a decayed tooth which leads to further decay.
- Incorrectly conducting anaesthesia
- Causing nerve damage during a surgical process
- Inserting crowns and/or fillings poorly
If there are clear symptoms and signs of dental problems, then a dentist should be able to diagnose and treat them. Poor oral health is not always the fault of the dentist. However, if there is any children’s dental negligence in your child’s diagnosis or treatment, then you may be able to make a claim on their behalf.
Claiming on Behalf of A Child
If a child has suffered from dental negligence, then you may be able to make a claim on their behalf. The law states that a parent or guardian can make a claim on behalf of a child. The compensation is then held in a trust until the child turns 18.
It is also important to note that, in children’s dental negligence claims, the date of limitation differs. Usually in medical negligence claims, you have three years from the date of knowledge of the negligence to make a claim. With children, however, a parent or guardian can make a claim until the child turns 18. The child then has until they turn 21 to make a claim.
How We Can Help
Here at The Medical Negligence Experts, we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with medical negligence claims. This includes children’s dental negligence. Contact us today by filling in our contact form. Or call us on 01614138761 to speak to one of our friendly experts.