Case studies

Displaced root

6 January 2002

Displacement of palatal root on extraction into the maxillary antrum which needed to be removed under general anaesthesia.

Child in pain

Can a dentist treat a child in the absence of either medical history or parental authority?

Erroneous extraction
Erroneous extraction

A patient in her 60s attended her dentist, a DDU member, complaining of pain in the upper right quadrant of her mouth.

Faulty equipment
Faulty equipment

A 35-year-old female patient attended her dental practice for a routine restoration on the LL7.

Injury during implant procedure

A 50-year old male patient attended his dentist for extraction of his UL6 retained root, and replacement with an implant retained crown.

Man holding mouth
Missed perforation

A dentist over-excavated during a difficult RCT, causing a perforation

Notes crucial
Notes crucial to a successful defence

A patient attended his dentist in 2009 for the first time in five years for a routine check-up. The dentist, a DDU member, noted that the patient had a fractured carious UR8.

Permanent molar extraction

A dentist found himself facing a claim for compensation, following the erroneous extraction of a 6-year old patient's tooth

Image of a complaint form
Reasonable care and skill

A dentist was not liable for the loss of tooth, but did fail to refer the patient

Surprise complaint

A DDU member received an unexpected complaint from a patient after an apparently satisfactory resolution to an extended course of treatment.