The story that follows may well be one of the most bizarre medical malpractice stories you’ve ever heard. It will also rekindle all those fears you have of going to the dentist.
According to a medical malpractice lawsuit that was filed by a 23-year-old man, the dentist he saw to have an abscessed tooth treated ended up removing all of his teeth. Every last one.
However, the story is a bit more complicated than that. Because of the abscessed tooth, the man would have needed to get four teeth removed regardless — but the dentist told him that he risked dangerous blood poisoning if he didn’t get all of his teeth removed. He made this extreme recommendation without even performing an X-ray of the 23-year-old’s teeth, and the 23-year-old — trusting the dentist’s expertise — agreed to have the teeth removed because he likely assumed they were unhealthy teeth.
Instead, he had 28 healthy teeth removed, as well as the four that were affected by the abscess. His decision was affected by the dentist’s recommendation because it is unreasonable to think anyone would choose to have all of his or her teeth removed. Besides, shouldn’t the dentist make sure that the removal of the teeth was actually necessary before resorting to such an extreme procedure?
The 23-year-old originally sued the dentist in 2010, but his case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning that he was allowed to file the lawsuit again. Medical staff members are supposed to make sound recommendations to patients that are supported by plenty of evidence. Failing to do so can lead patients down an unpleasant path, and it can make the recommending doctor or dentist liable for that suffering.
Source: Inquisitr, “Dentist Yanked 28 Healthy Teeth From Man’s Head, Lawsuit Says,” Jonathan Vankin, April 23, 2014
