Being a dentist means that you are constantly at a risk of being sued by an unhappy patient. Health care in general is extremely litigious since it evolves year over year, with new scientific discoveries made that cancel out many previously used treatments. A human factor shouldn’t be discounted either: many medical professionals put in long hours and are frequently exhausted by the end of the shift, which creates more room for error.

It’s not uncommon for dentists to be involved in litigation: malpractice claims are often made against them even if there’s little or no ground. Sometimes things simply go wrong regardless the dentist’s expertise and professionalism. Yet patients think of dentistry as the medical field with “big money” and initiate a lawsuit hoping not so much to be compensated for the poor service or a minor complication, but to win a large sum of money.

Most cases filed against dentist-defendants involved complications that arose after a standard dental procedure. Thus, some patients sued the dentist for alleged negligence that lead to the infection after a tooth extraction. There are also at least 5 known cases when extraction of a wrong tooth was the basis for a suit. Complications due to implant procedures include postoperative infection, fractured jaw and implant loss. Lack of professionalism in crown and bridge treatment may also result in complications such as poor occlusion or open margins.

To get protected against malpractice and negligence lawsuits, dentists need to carry an adequate dental malpractice insurance policy. It will cover any legal expenses such as attorney fees, loss of wages and reward costs in case a lawsuit is levied against the dentist. Even with a groundless claim, the dentist still has to defend himself and his reputation – and litigation is extremely costly. It can run any medical professional into bankruptcy: getting a dental liability insurance policy will ensure protection and coverage and mitigate financial risks that may result from a dental malpractice lawsuit.