An essential part of maintaining a set of healthy and hygienic teeth is the quality of dental treatment you receive. Nobody should experience bad dental work and the issues it can lead to, so it’s important to act accordingly if it does happen to you.
Great oral health and hygiene are essential to prevent bad breath, gum disease and tooth decay — all of which can be prevented or treated effectively by a high-quality dentist. There’s a lot of trust involved when it comes to visiting the dentist, because even the most basic of treatments requires them to poke around the inside of your mouth with sharp instruments.
If you have experienced bad dental work — whether it’s due to negligence during your appointment, or inefficient work that’s led to an infection and other issues — it’s essential to know what your rights are in regards to making a claim for refunds, free corrective treatment, or even compensation.
Bad Dental Work: What Qualifies as ‘Dental Negligence’?
To be able to establish whether or not you are entitled to make a claim, you first have to know what qualifies as negligent dental care. The following are examples of negligence claims that people make:
- Claims for careless work
- Claims due to inadequate or incorrect work
- Claims due to missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis
- Failed dental procedure, extracting a wrong tooth, inefficient dental treatment, or failed diagnosis
- Dental infection or failure to provide preventative advice on oral hygiene
If you have experienced any of the above and are yet to do anything about it, now’s the time to make a claim. By acting now, you will not only be reimbursed or compensated, but you’ll also prevent the dentist or practice in question from causing problems for other patients.
Check the Dentist Refund Policy
There’s no excuse for negligence or poor workmanship when visiting the dentist. If you have an issue with the quality of care you received or are concerned about the aftermath of inefficient treatment (throbbing pain after tooth extraction, for example) — it’s vital to seek restitution.
Oral treatment isn’t cheap, especially if you have opted for private dental care. So if you feel that you’re entitled to a refund or free treatment to correct an error, your first step should always be to check the refund policy of the NHS or your private dentist.
Every dentist — whether the NHS pays them or they are paid privately — have a duty of care to their patients, with the assurance that all treatments and procedures will be carried out properly. If you feel that this isn’t the case, you may well be entitled to make a dental law claim. Some practices will have specific policies in place to make sure that any bad dental work is rectified. Failing that, a claim may be your only option to recover costs and get the compensation you deserve.
Making a Complaint to Your Dentist About Bad Dental Work
The first thing you need to do if you want to make a claim is to file a complaint with your dentist. The reputation of any medical professional is something they should care a great deal about, as well as the fact that there are strict regulations in place, so any complaint they receive will be taken seriously. With this in mind, a complaint is a good place to start, and it’s important to know the complaints procedure for both NHS and private dentists.
If you receive dental treatment through the NHS, you will need to go through its official complaints process, which can be found on the NHS website. If you’d prefer not to discuss the matter with your dentist or an NHS professional, or you fail to get a response, you can contact the independent Health Service Ombudsman on 0345 015 403.
As we mentioned above, when it comes to private dental care, you should check to see if they have any specific refunds policies that apply to your situation, but also establish what their procedure is in regards to complaints. All private dentists will have one, just in case. If it turns out to be complicated or there’s a lack of progress, it’s a good idea to contact the private Dental Complaints Service for further advice.
How to Make a Claim
To give you the best chance of making a successful claim, it’s recommended to do so with the help of a dental law claims company. Aside from increasing your chances of receiving a refund, compensation, or free treatment, it means you can let legal professionals handle your case without it affecting your day-to-day life.
To claim bad dental work, you will need to supporting evidence from an independent dentist. In most cases this will just require their professional opinion but sometimes you may need a dental examination. From here, your court proceedings will begin and your evidence documents will be given to the defendant, which will eventually lead to a financial settlement.
If successful, you will receive free treatment to fix minor dental issues, but if you have been seriously injured or experienced prolonged pain, claiming compensation could well be a valid option. It’s vital to find a no win, no fee claims company to work with, as this means that if your case is unsuccessful, you won’t owe legal fees. If you are successful, your chosen claims company will receive a pre-agreed fee.
