My wife, who is 28 and probably should have been smart enough to get a second opinion, went to a neighborhood dentist that she had used once before for tooth pain. Between her regular cleanings, she developed a toothache. The doc checked her out and told her that she needed a root canal. She said ok and the doc performed the root canal.
About 6 weeks later, while she is waiting on her crown, she starts developing severe pain in her gums, tooth, and jaw. My wife NEVER complains about pain, but at times she was literally screaming in pain. She went back to the dentist and he told her that food had got trapped in the tooth and had caused an infection. He prescribed her penicillin and vicodin and sent her on her way.
The vicodin wasn't doing much for the pain and the next day her face/head was swollen up like a basketball. That morning, I immediately started calling around to other dentists and was told that we should consult an endodontist, which is a dentist that specializes in root canals. By the time we reached the endodontist's office later that day, she was in so much pain that she couldn't stand up and was vomiting.
We eventually got her in the exam room and the doc checked her out and looked at her x-rays and records. The endodontist told us this:
1. She most likely did not need a root canal in the first place. It's his opinion that the other dentist probably ruined a good tooth.
2. The root canal wasn't performed correctly due to a number of reasons.
3. The root canal would have to performed again when the infection was gone.
4. Her infection was severe and she should have been prescribed an antibiotic that was much stronger than penicillin. The penicillin wasn't working.
5. It is likely that the tooth will not be able to be saved. They may have to extract it.
My wife has been through severe pain and suffering as a result of the original dentist. Aside from the pain related directly to the tooth, the infection made her physically ill. She has already lost about 6 days of work due to this issue. She earns about $250/day on average.
What type of legal action should be taken against the dentist, if any?
Does anyone have any personal experience with this sort of thing?
About 6 weeks later, while she is waiting on her crown, she starts developing severe pain in her gums, tooth, and jaw. My wife NEVER complains about pain, but at times she was literally screaming in pain. She went back to the dentist and he told her that food had got trapped in the tooth and had caused an infection. He prescribed her penicillin and vicodin and sent her on her way.
The vicodin wasn't doing much for the pain and the next day her face/head was swollen up like a basketball. That morning, I immediately started calling around to other dentists and was told that we should consult an endodontist, which is a dentist that specializes in root canals. By the time we reached the endodontist's office later that day, she was in so much pain that she couldn't stand up and was vomiting.
We eventually got her in the exam room and the doc checked her out and looked at her x-rays and records. The endodontist told us this:
1. She most likely did not need a root canal in the first place. It's his opinion that the other dentist probably ruined a good tooth.
2. The root canal wasn't performed correctly due to a number of reasons.
3. The root canal would have to performed again when the infection was gone.
4. Her infection was severe and she should have been prescribed an antibiotic that was much stronger than penicillin. The penicillin wasn't working.
5. It is likely that the tooth will not be able to be saved. They may have to extract it.
My wife has been through severe pain and suffering as a result of the original dentist. Aside from the pain related directly to the tooth, the infection made her physically ill. She has already lost about 6 days of work due to this issue. She earns about $250/day on average.
What type of legal action should be taken against the dentist, if any?
Does anyone have any personal experience with this sort of thing?
