As an Atlanta lawyer who litigates many dental malpractice cases, I receive calls from many potential clients who have been seriously injured in the dental chair. Many times, the potential client was treated by a general dentist when the procedure required the skill and training of a specialist. There are 9 specialties in dentistry. In medicine, these areas of specialization are referred to as sub-specialties, however they are know as specialties in the area of dentistry. The areas are: Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics and Prosthodontics.
Many acts of dental malpractice are committed by dentists who fail to recognize that a specific procedure (i.e., complicated extraction, root canal involving curled or calcified roots, dental implant which will be placed within millimeters of the nerve that runs below the tooth line) is beyond their level of expertise and should be referred to a specialist. The resulting injury is often debilitating.
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