Atlanta Dental Malpractice Lawyers

Quality dental care is essential for everyday life in Atlanta, whether you’re grabbing lunch at Ponce City Market, enjoying a meal along the Beltline, meeting friends at a Buckhead restaurant, or presenting at a conference at a high-rise in Midtown. When dentistry is performed correctly, it allows people to eat comfortably, smile confidently, and fully participate in the fast-paced lifestyle of Metro Atlanta.

Unfortunately, dentistry isn’t always performed correctly—and sometimes, negligence is a factor. When a dentist, oral surgeon, or hygienist fails to meet the accepted standard of care, even simple daily tasks like chewing, talking, or drinking coffee can become painful and difficult.

If you were harmed because of negligent dental treatment, you may have the right to pursue compensation for your damages under Georgia law. Prieto, DelCampo, Lopez, & Marigliano LLC helps clients throughout Buckhead, Midtown, Decatur, Sandy Springs, and communities across Metro Atlanta recover physically and financially from preventable dental injuries that occur in all types of dental practices.

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General Dentistry Malpractice

General dentists manage preventive care, diagnostics, fillings, crowns, and basic restorations. Mistakes in these everyday procedures can cause serious long-term complications.

Examples of malpractice in general dentistry include:

• Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis: A dentist may miss clear signs of decay, infection, or gum disease on X-rays or during exams, allowing the condition to worsen unnecessarily.
• Improper Drilling or Restoration Placement: A dentist may drill too deeply, expose a nerve, or place a crown or filling that destabilizes the tooth and causes chronic pain.
• Failure to Identify Periodontal Disease: Neglecting obvious gum recession, bleeding, or pocketing can result in preventable bone loss and tooth loss.
• Unnecessary Procedures: Performing fillings, extractions, or root canals that were not medically needed can cause pain, nerve damage, and additional financial burdens.

We’ll analyze your dental records, imaging, treatment notes, and second-opinion evaluations. Our experts compare your care to accepted standards in Atlanta to build a strong malpractice claim.

Oral Surgery Malpractice

Oral surgeons routinely perform extractions, bone grafts, dental implants, and jaw surgeries. Errors during these procedures often cause severe infections, nerve injuries, bleeding, or structural damage.

Types of oral surgery malpractice include:

• Improper Extraction Technique: A surgeon may fracture the jaw, remove the wrong tooth, or leave behind root fragments during a poorly executed extraction.
• Failure to Control Bleeding: Releasing a patient while bleeding is uncontrolled can lead to dangerous blood loss and emergency hospitalization.
• Inadequate Sterilization or Infection Control: Contaminated tools or unsanitary conditions can cause abscesses, facial swelling, or life-threatening systemic infection.
• Anesthesia Errors: Incorrect dosages, improper monitoring, or failing to recognize signs of distress can cause serious medical complications.

We’ll review operative notes, anesthesia logs, and facility protocols. If the procedure occurred at an Atlanta outpatient surgical center, we also evaluate systemic or institutional failures.

Dental Nerve Injury

Nerve damage is one of the most devastating outcomes of negligent dental care. Injury to the inferior alveolar, lingual, or mental nerve can permanently affect sensation and daily function.

Common causes of dental nerve injury include:

• Over-Instrumentation During Root Canals: When a tool extends past the root tip, it can pierce or damage nerve tissue, creating permanent numbness or pain.
• Surgical Trauma During Extractions: Lower third-molar extractions are especially risky when surgeons cut too deep or ignore imaging showing the nerve location.
• Improper Injection Technique: A local anesthetic needle placed too close to a nerve bundle can bruise or puncture the nerve.
• Dental Implant Placement Errors: Placing an implant too close to the nerve canal can compress or sever the nerve, causing significant sensory loss.

Symptoms of a dental nerve injury may include:

• Numbness or Tingling: Loss of feeling in the tongue, lip, or chin often indicates nerve disruption.
• Burning or Electrical Pain: Patients may feel shocks or intense burning sensations that worsen during speaking or eating.
• Loss of Taste: Injury to the lingual nerve can cause partial or total taste loss on the affected side.
• Difficulty Speaking or Chewing: Motor impairments from nerve injury may affect speech clarity and chewing function.

We’ll work with nerve-injury specialists and gather medical-legal evidence that quantifies your long-term damage and financial losses.

Dental Implant Failure

Implants require precise planning, bone assessment, and surgical accuracy. When dentists cut corners or ignore standard protocols, implants fail and often require major corrective work.

Types of implant-related malpractice include:

• Improper Imaging or Assessment Before Surgery: Without proper CBCT imaging or bone-density evaluation, an implant may be placed in unstable bone or too close to other critical structures in the mouth and jaw.
• Placing Implants Too Close to Nerves or Sinus Cavities: Incorrect angulation of the placement of an implant can perforate the sinus or compress a nerve, causing pain or chronic sinus issues.
• Poor Sterilization or Surgical Technique: Lack of sterile technique increases the risk of peri-implantitis, an infection which can destroy bone around the implant.
• Failure to Diagnose and Treat Early Complications: Ignoring early signs of infection or mobility allows preventable implant failure to escalate.

We’ll review imaging, surgical plans, operative notes, and follow-up records with implant experts to identify clear deviations from accepted standards.

Where Can I Get Treatment for a Dental Malpractice-Related Injury in Atlanta?

Severe pain, swelling, bleeding, numbness, or infection after dental treatment requires urgent evaluation. Atlanta offers both emergency dental care and hospital-based support.

Emergency Dental Providers:

Some dental malpractice-related emergencies can be handled by other dentists, and they’re often the first line of care in such situations.

• Atlanta Dental Center: This dental center provides urgent evaluations for severe pain, infections, cracked teeth, or post-procedure complications.
• Dental Care 24/7 Atlanta: This 24-hour dental practice offers after-hours care for abscesses, swelling, or uncontrolled bleeding.

Hospital Care for Serious Complications:

In some cases, dental malpractice results in major health-related emergencies that other dentists can’t address adequately. This is when it’s important to go to a hospital right away.

Local hospitals that can treat severe dental-related healthcare emergencies include:

• Grady Memorial Hospital: Grady’s Level I trauma center treats severe infections, facial swelling, airway compromise, and surgical complications.
• Emory University Hospital Midtown: This hospital offers advanced imaging and access to specialists who can assess nerve injuries and deep oral infections.
• Piedmont Atlanta Hospital: This facility provides emergency care for dental infections, anesthesia complications, and post-surgical issues.

Keep copies of all medical records, as these documents will serve as important evidence in your malpractice claim.

What Compensation Is Available for Dental Malpractice?

A successful Georgia dental malpractice claim may include compensation for the following common damages:

• Medical and Dental Expenses: This covers corrective procedures, revision surgeries, nerve evaluations, medications, and long-term dental rehabilitation.
• Lost Wages or Reduced Earning Capacity: Chronic pain and oral dysfunction can interfere with your ability to work or perform your job fully and to the best of your abilities.
• Pain and Suffering: Many dental injuries cause chronic discomfort, sensory loss, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life.
• Future Medical Needs: Long-term treatment may include implant reconstruction, nerve therapy, bone grafting, or prosthodontic rehabilitation.

What Are Some of the Most Common Causes of Dental Malpractice?

Dental malpractice often occurs when providers fail to follow accepted safety and diagnostic standards. Common causes include:

• Failure to Diagnose Oral Disease: Dentists may miss obvious signs of gum disease, abscesses, or decay, allowing conditions to worsen.
• Improper Use of Dental Instruments: Excessive force or incorrect technique can damage nerves, bone, or surrounding tissue.
• Inadequate Surgical Planning: Failure to review imaging or evaluate anatomy may lead to avoidable surgical errors.
• Poor Aftercare or Follow-Up: Ignoring signs of infection or complications can turn minor issues into serious ones.
• Communication Failures: Providers may fail to obtain informed consent or may fail to provide adequate post-operative instructions.

What Are Common Symptoms of Dental Malpractice?

It’s common for people who have been victims of dental malpractice to not immediately realize it until symptoms begin to appear, which may take days or even weeks. These often include:

• Severe or Worsening Pain: Persistent or intensifying pain often indicates improper drilling, infection, or incomplete treatment.
• Numbness or Sensory Changes: Long-lasting numbness suggests nerve injury.
• Difficulty Opening Your Mouth: Trismus may result from infection, surgical trauma, or nerve irritation.
• Persistent Bleeding or Swelling: Ongoing inflammation of the gums and other soft tissue in the mouth frequently indicates an unmanaged infection.
• Loose Crowns, Implants, or Restorations: Instability of dental implants often results from poor placement or faulty technique.

How Can a Lawyer Help With My Dental Malpractice Claim?

Dental malpractice cases are complex and require a technical understanding of dental standards. The dental malpractice lawyers at Prieto, DelCampo, Lopez, & Marigliano LLC, can help by:

• Gathering Your Dental and Medical Records: We obtain all records, imaging, and treatment notes to reconstruct what happened and identify errors.
• Consulting With Independent Dental Experts: We work with specialists who review your care and provide expert opinions on how your provider deviated from accepted standards.
• Calculating Your Damages: We determine the full extent of your losses, including medical costs, lost wages, and long-term care needs.
• Negotiating With Insurance Companies: We handle all communication and negotiation with insurers that often try to minimize dental injury claims.
• Going to Trial if Necessary: We prepare your case for trial and advocate aggressively when insurance companies refuse fair settlements.

How Long Do I Have to File a Dental Malpractice Claim in Georgia?

Most dental malpractice cases in Georgia must be filed within two years of the date of injury or the date you discovered (or should have discovered) the injury. Exceptions to this rule may apply in cases involving minors or fraud, and your lawyer can help you better understand if these apply to you.

Missing the deadline can permanently prevent you from moving forward with a claim, so early legal review and action are extremely important.

What Happens to My Dentist if I Sue Him or Her for Malpractice?

Filing a malpractice claim does not automatically revoke a dentist’s license. Instead, here’s what typically happens:

• Their insurance typically handles the defense. Lawsuits usually proceed against the dentist’s malpractice insurer, not the dentist personally.
• The Georgia Board of Dentistry may investigate. If your case suggests professional misconduct or unsafe practices, the Board may open an inquiry.
• The dentist may face disciplinary action. Penalties may include additional training, fines, probation, or, in severe cases, license suspension, but only after a Board finding.

Contact Our Atlanta Dental Malpractice Lawyers

If you suffered a serious injury due to negligent dental treatment in Atlanta, Prieto, DelCampo, Lopez, & Marigliano LLC is ready to help you pursue justice and financial recovery.

We investigate your case, consult respected dental experts, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Reach out today for a free consultation to learn more about how we can help you.

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