Dental malpractice is an oft overlooked topic that some experts say occurred in nearly thirty thousand instances last year alone. Granted, a visit to the dentist is considered to be one of the least enjoyable experiences we endure. Many people avoid dentists’ offices for years until they have no choice but to seek treatment for a painful problem.

Then the amount of trust we place in them is nearly limitless. Meanwhile there are a large number of dental mishaps that can occur – and the fault will lie squarely with the dentist. For instance, a person’s dental problem may be misdiagnosed thereby causing anything from the extraction of too many teeth to unnecessary infection from faulty or improperly sanitized equipment. There may be other problems as well – improper administration of anesthesia or dental cosmetic surgery gone awry. In the worst case scenario – dental malpractice can lead to the death of a patient.

While that may seem hard to fathom – it has occurred on a number of occasions. For instance, in one case the extraction of a tooth was so traumatic to a patient that he had a stroke in the dentist’s chair and later died. In another case a patient was not given an antibiotic – which was a regular part of the dental process for patients who had undergone a certain type of medical procedure. The patient developed an infection and died several months later.

When we are experiencing tooth pain – a dentist is a savior. However, take the time to verify credentials before climbing into the dentist chair.