How To Sue A Dentist

We go to dentists for many kinds of dental work, from standard check-ups and cleanings to more thorough procedures. They are trusted with our health. Therefore, negligent treatment can have a potentially disastrous impact on a patient’s life. Our guide on how to sue a dentist explains when and how you can seek compensation.

In this guide to the dental negligence claims process, you can learn how compensation for the effects of a dentist causing avoidable harm is calculated.

Furthermore, we explain how support in claiming against a negligent dentist can be provided on a No Win No Fee basis by a specialist solicitor from our panel.

As well as reading through this detailed guide, you can get useful insight into dental negligence cases by contacting us. This free round-the-clock service also offers you the opportunity to learn if you have a valid claim that a solicitor could take on. Choose one of these options to begin:

Call us on 0800 408 7827.
Go online to contact us through our form.
Click on the live chat tab when it pops up below.

Choose A Section

How To Sue A Dentist
What Evidence Do I Need To Sue A Dentist?
How Much Dental Negligence Compensation Could I Receive?
How To Sue A Dentist With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
Read More About How To Claim Compensation

When you undergo treatment with a dentist, they owe you a duty of care. This means that they should be upholding standards.

A dental compensation claim is similar to a medical negligence case. You could make a dental negligence claim if you can show that:

You were owed a duty of care by a dental professional.
The dentist failed to uphold their duty because their treatment fell below the standard expected of a reasonably competent dentist. For example, a dentist did not perform a proper check, leading to an oral cancer misdiagnosis which allowed the issue to worsen.
You suffered avoidable harm because of this negligent dental care.

If you’ve suffered harm because of poor treatment from a dentist, you may be able to start a compensation claim. All you have to do to discover if your case is eligible is call our free helpline through the number shown above.

Who Is The General Dental Council?

A dental practitioner, like all other healthcare professionals, is expected to provide care that meets certain professional standards. The General Dental Council (GDC), the UK’s dental professional regulator, sets out standards for dental teams. Meeting these standards means taking such steps as:

Listen to your patients.
Treat patients with dignity and respect.
Be honest and act with integrity.
Take a holistic and preventative approach to the individual patient.
Hygienic and safe environment
Treat patients without discrimination.
Put patients’ interests first.
Ensure patients can seek compensation when necessary.
Be lawful.

What Evidence Do I Need To Sue A Dentist?

Your dental malpractice claim requires plenty of relevant evidence, such as:

Proof of who treated you and where.
A copy of your dental records. This can help prove dental negligence or show remedial treatment you’ve received after an incident.
Diary entries. You could keep a record of your treatment and symptoms.
A record of correspondence with the dental practice. This might include a letter or email.
Payslips, receipts and other documents proving financial loss. Continue on to our compensation sections to learn why this proof is important to a claim.
Witness contact details.

As well as explaining how to sue a dentist, our helpful advisors can explain how a dental negligence solicitor can be instructed to help you gather evidence for your legal claim.

How Do I Access My Dental Records?

Because of UK GDPR, you have a legal right to get a copy of your medical records. Typically, you do not have to pay a fee. You might make this request to get evidence of dental negligence.

Dental practices are obliged to provide information whenever a reasonable request is made. It is likely that you will need to contact the practice directly. They may have a certain process for data requests, or you can make a Subject Access Request (SAR).

Please feel free to contact us any time if you’d like to know more about accessing your dental records.

How Much Dental Negligence Compensation Could I Receive?

If you received negligent treatment and made a successful claim against a dentist, your payout could consist of up to two parts. These parts, referred to as heads of loss in a dental claim, are:

General damages, which compensate for physical injury and psychological pain caused by negligent care. For example, it could cause a jaw break or fracture and anxiety that follows.
Special damages, the head of loss accounting for the financial impact of avoidable harm suffered due to negligent dentistry. Examples of financial losses include the cost of corrective treatment, a loss of earnings or the cost of travel to and from appointments.

Those working out how much compensation is awarded under the general damages head of loss might refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document features suggestive compensation brackets for different forms of harm.

This table is made up of JCG figures, except for the top line. All compensation payouts depend on the individual circumstances of each case, so the table is only meant as a guide.

Injury	Severity	Amount
Multiple Severe Injuries Plus Future Treatment Costs And Other Financial Losses	Serious	Up to £50,000+
Facial Disfigurement	Very Severe Scarring	£36,340 to £118,790
Facial Disfigurement	Significant Scarring	£11,120 to £36,720
Fractures of Jaws	Very Serious Multiple Fractures	£37,210 to £55,570
Fractures of Jaws	Serious Fracture With Permanent Consequences	£11,120 to £36,720
Damage to Teeth	Significant and Chronic Tooth Pain	Up to £46,540
Damage to Teeth	Serious Damage to Several Front Teeth	£10,660 to £13,930
Damage to Teeth	Serious Damage to Two Front Teeth	£5,310 to £9,310
Skeletal Injuries	Le Fort Fractures of Frontal Facial Bones	£29,060 to £44,840
Skeletal Injuries	Multiple Fractures of Facial Bones	£18,180 to £29,220