How much compensation for a wrong tooth extraction might I get if it can be proved that my dentist took out a perfectly healthy tooth?
Eoin P. Campbell, LL.B., Solicitor
Editor in Chief
Whereas you might think that this is a relatively straightforward question, how much compensation for a wrong tooth extraction you might be entitled to receive can be significantly influenced by the visibility of the gap left behind, your age, your sex and the effect that your dentist´s error makes to your quality of life.
This is particularly true if the tooth which has erroneously been extracted is at the front of your mouth and you are a young, professional female who works in an environment in which there is regular contact with the public. The law acknowledges the important women place on their looks, and how much compensation for a wrong tooth extraction a woman might be entitled to would be higher than if a male in the same position were to be deprived of a healthy smile.
The value of a claim for compensation for the extraction of a wrong tooth would also take into account the psychological implications of a gap at the front of your mouth and the possibility that you suffer a lack of confidence because of it. This can inhibit a person´s social life and prevent them from enjoying regular leisure pursuits. Potentially more important for young people is that a lack of confidence could become an obstacle to attaining employment or being accepted by their peers.
Some factors remain constant regardless of age, sex and the effect that a wrong tooth extraction has on your quality of life. The unnecessary pain that you have experienced and the future dental work that will be required to bridge the gap in your mouth should be taken into account when preparing a claim for compensation for the extraction of a wrong tooth – not forgetting that the tooth which should have been extracted in the first instance will still have to be taken out.
With so many potential variables involved in calculating how much compensation for the wrong tooth you may be entitled to claim, you should undergo an assessment by an experienced medical negligence solicitor to ascertain the value of your claim. Once the solicitor has established that you have claim for compensation for the extraction of a wrong tooth which is worth your while to pursue, he or she will talk you through the procedures which have to be completed in support of your claim and to maximise how much compensation for a wrong tooth extraction you receive.