Facing any allegations may compromise your career and a Texas dental defense attorney could provide you the best help. If you have any valid reasons, you may refer to a dental defense attorney to provide further defense against your case.
An instance of this incident occurred when a patient, who had originally been seen by another associate within the same practice six months earlier, attended with a new dentist complaining of a broken tooth.
After exposure of a radiograph, the tooth was deemed to be un-restorable. After speaking to the patient it was determined that he had been aware of deep caries previously and did not want treatment on the tooth, namely root canal treatment or a crown, both of which had been offered six months earlier. The patient had been prepared to wait until the tooth broke or caused pain, after which he would agree to extraction at that stage.
There was no pain from the tooth, however as it was broken, the patient found that he was having difficulty with eating and this had prompted a return to the practice.
The patient was booked for an appointment three days later and as expected the tooth fractured during removal, leaving the distal root in situ. The dentist attempted to remove the root, however, was unable to mobilize it and after 25 minutes stopped the treatment. The patient was informed of what had happened and that a referral would be required.
The referral was duly made. Two days later the patient returned in pain and saw another associate at the practice. Diagnosis of the dry socket was made and appropriate treatment provided. At this point, the patient questioned why antibiotics had not been prescribed at the time of extraction and questioned how long they would need to wait for the referral.
One week later a complaint letter arrived. The patient wanted another explanation as to why antibiotics were not prescribed as soon as the dentist knew the root had broken and expressed concern that the member had been aggressive and rough during the extraction process.
The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners Enforcement Division is the state licensing board that disciplines a dentist based on any negligence found. During this investigative process, the dentist has the right of counsel. Therefore, it is essential to have experienced counsel when seeking to obtain defend and protect your license. Texas dental defense attorney Yong J. An will fight for your professional rights. To get started with a private consultation, you may contact him at (832) 428-5679.