Dentist work bad infection

Tasfasdf

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coylemj

Tasfasdf wrote: »

Anyways would it be unreasonable to expect the dentist to cover the gp and antibiotics?

Do you remember the story a few months ago about the Garda lady who was fired back in the 1980s for getting pregnant when she was unmarried? She claimed in a newspaper interview that all she wanted was an apology from the Minister and the Commissioner. Which she got. Now she's suing for loss of earnings and pension. And, armed with those two apologies, what defence has the state got? None.

So ask yourself the question .... if you were that dentist, would you pay the patient's GP bill?

hullaballoo

False parallel.

If the dentist pays the bill for the GP and the antibiotic, that would be the end of it from the dentist's point of view.

There is a world of difference between apologising and paying compensation.

iwillhtfu

It would most likely and correctly be chalked up to poor after care so I would say your chances are nil.

rock22

If the wound got infected, then it was probably from bacteria in your mouth. A risk of any dentistry.
Was there any negligence on behave of the dentist?
if so, and you can prove it, then you probably have got a case.
But no harm in asking the dentist?

By the way, why didn't you return to the dentist to get the prescription for antibiotic. They would usually issue that free of charge in such a case.

coylemj

hullaballoo wrote: »

If the dentist pays the bill for the GP and the antibiotic, that would be the end of it from the dentist's point of view.

How would it not constitute an admission of liability? Which could be used by the OP's 'friend' if he/she decided to sue for pain and suffering.

banie01

coylemj wrote: »

How would it not constitute an admission of liability? Which could be used by the OP's 'friend' if he/she decided to sue for pain and suffering.

I'd tend to agree that paying the bill could be an admission of culpability?

That said, I'm at a loss as to how a doctor could lay blame for the infection directly on the dentist.
Oral surgery, indeed any surgery carries a risk of infection.
The mouth in particular is a hot bed of bacteria. Was the bacteria that caused the infection never present in the oral cavity prior to the surgery? Can its lack of any prior presence be proven?

Did the dentist have demonstrably poor hygiene practice that led to the introduction of the causal bacteria?
Can the OP's doctor prove that?
The bacteria may well have been present for years and in the aftermath of the dental intervention found an open wound to infect and fester in.

That may be due more to poor aftercare than any malpractice.
Was the patient issued aftercare instructions? Were they followed?

Wesser

your doctor has merely confirmed the presence of a dental infection and is not in a position to make a comment on dental work ( not a dentist) not comment as to weather the dentists care was substandard or not.
not your dentists fault that you live an hour. likely would have been happy to see and treat you.
infection is a risk after any procedure even if done properly.

hullaballoo

coylemj wrote: »

How would it not constitute an admission of liability? Which could be used by the OP's 'friend' if he/she decided to sue for pain and suffering.

It might but wouldn't necessarily be an admission of liability. But it would be a settlement that would bar any claim for damages in the ordinary course.

Fishorsealant

It would be unreasonable and I suspect no dentist would cover these fees.

It is somewhat unclear to me the treatment you are referring to? Was it a coronectomy that was performed or treatment of pericoronitis?

It is highly unlikely that a systemic infection would develop two days following a filling and treating pericoronitis by reducing a tooth and removing some operculum.
A systemic infection, if at all related, would much more like be as a result of the disease process itself i.e pericoronitis.
The GP mustn’t know very much about this area if he is blaming a filling and simple treatment of pericoronitis for causing acute onset systemic infection...
Local measures is an appropriate first line treatment in most cases of pericoronitis and I would see no breach in the duty of care of the dentist.

If it is following a coronectomy then infection would be a risk as part of the informed consent process. If this is the case then why you didn’t return to the dentist for after care is beyond me. If you had a filling and it broke and you went to a different clinic to have it fixed would you expect the dentist who did it to reimburse you after?