What is botched dental treatment?
It can happen. You can visit a dentist you believe that you can trust, or you found what seemed like a really affordable practice, only to end up with a botched dental procedure. This can leave you feeling angry, indignant, and sometimes even in pain. The good news is that something can be done.
What to do if you have had botched dental work?
Often, people who are looking for dramatic transformations through cosmetic dentistry may also seek to find these services at the most affordable rate. With the trend of dental tourism on the rise, cases of botched dental work are not uncommon. Dental tourism is when someone seeks to receive their dental work in another country where the price of the procedure can work out cheaper, such as Thailand. The patient may then extend their trip for dental work into a vacation. In foreign countries, it may be difficult to determine which practices can be trusted and which cannot, leaving you at significant risk for botched work.
On the other hand, this can happen locally at the hands of an inexperienced dentist.
When botched dental work happens, you may feel overwhelmed with emotion and questions. However, the first thing you should do before trying to seek justice is to try and fix the physical situation. Visit a reliable dentist such as Extreme Dentistry who can assess and rectify the botched job and correct what has been done. You will likely be given some guidance on how to manage your recovery and symptoms of your corrective procedure.
How to prevent this type of dental treatment?
Prevention is better than cure and the best way to deal with botched dental work is to prevent it from happening altogether. There are a few steps you can take to ensure that it doesn’t happen to you:
Research: You should research the procedure that you are looking to undergo. Knowledge is power. The more informed you are, the more you will be aware of what to expect before, during and after your treatment. You should also research the practice that you wish to use when going for your treatment. You may be able to research the dentists who work there too. There is no shame in investigating your dentist and their certifications.
Referrals: When possible, try to get a referral from a family member, trusted colleague or friend. If someone you know has visited a particular practice, they will likely be able to give you an honest opinion. If they are unfamiliar with the practice in question, they may be able to refer you to another trusted dentist.
Bargains aren’t necessarily better: who doesn’t love a good bargain? Bargains are great when it comes to things like shoes, but most definitely not dental or medical procedures! Try and research the going rate of the particular procedure in which you are interested, if you have found a particular dentist who offers the same procedure at a rate that is significantly cheaper, this should be a red flag. The cost of a procedure can often be determined by a dentist’s equipment, materials used as well as experience and expertise. We are by no means suggesting you choose the most expensive practice; however, we are advising that you select a practice that offers a procedure within the going rate. Remember: what can seem cheaper now can actually work out to be more expensive in the long run. If you have received botched work at a bargain, the costs you may incur to fix the damage may work out to more expensive in comparison to what seemed to be the “the expensive quote.”
Go with your gut: Your instincts can be your best superpower and should always be trusted. If a certain dentist or practice does not feel right or you simply feel uneasy; there is no shame in cancelling an appointment and finding another dentist instead.
Get legal help
If you have suffered from botched dental work, you may want to receive some justice in court. Dental malpractice is nothing to be scoffed at and a very serious violation of ethics. Unlike medical malpractice which usually occurs after a surgery gone wrong, botched dental work can likely be corrected. As a result, dental injuries are usually not substantial enough to be worth filing a lawsuit. However, an injured patient should always contact an attorney for advice since the legal concepts can be difficult to understand.
Your legal advisor will be able to suggest the best way forward and determine if there are any grounds for a lawsuit.
It is also important to remember that if you received botched dental work in another country, taking legal action may be extremely difficult.
Extreme Dentistry can correct botched dental work
At Extreme Dentistry, we can correct any botched dental work you may have incurred. If you are concerned that your dental work may have gone wrong, you can always contact us for a second opinion on the situation.
View our list of treatments here to view how we can help.