Failed Root Canal Compensation Claims Solicitors in Manchester

As well as treating you for any pain or discomfort you might be in, another dentist will be able to confirm if the root canal treatment has failed. 

Once you know the root canal treatment has failed you should complain directly to the dentist in question. This will create an official record of your failed root canal, and their response will form part of your failed root canal compensation claim. 

After making an official complaint you should contact the experts at TJL. After an initial free consultation we will be able to decide, on the basis of our extensive experience of dental negligence claims, whether you have the grounds for a failed root canal compensation claim. 

If you are eligible to claim compensation for your failed root canal then we’ll work with you to prove negligence and win the compensation we think you are entitled to.

• The pain and suffering the failed root canal treatment has put you through, in physical and psychological terms
• The impact the failed root canal treatment has had on things like your ability to sleep, eat, socialise and work
• Any injury to your mouth which has happened or been made worse because of the failed root canal treatment
• Any further treatment required to deal with the aftermath of your failed root canal treatment
• The emotional fall-out from your failed root canal treatment, which could include anxiety, stress, trauma and a loss of confidence 
• Any earning lost because recovering from the failed root canal treatment involved having to take time off work
• Any money which you only had to spend as a result of the failed root canal treatment, such as travel costs to and from specialist dental appointments to put things right

This complexity means that there are a number of things that can go wrong, particularly if your dentist fails to meet the duty of care they have to you as a patient. 

Some of the more common examples of negligence which could cause a root canal procedure to fail include the following:

• Your dentist fractures an instrument such as a drill inside the root canal and fails to inform you of fragments left behind 
• Your dentist doesn’t remove all of the infection present in the root canal
• Your dentist doesn’t properly clean and disinfect the root canal following treatment
• Your dentist penetrates the side of your tooth with an instrument 
• Your dentist perforates the root of your tooth with an instrument 
• Your dentist fails to properly seal the root canal following treatment, something which carries a risk of re-infection
• Your dentist fails to gain informed consent for the root canal treatment, meaning they don’t explain the process and the risks involved clearly and in detail

This is not an exhaustive list, and if you think your treatment failed for any reason whatsoever you should contact TJL to discuss the possibility of starting a failed root canal compensation claim.

Other signs that your root canal treatment has failed in some way include the following:

• Pain which is worse than mild discomfort and lasts for longer than a few days. Any pain lasting longer than this or getting worse as time passes is a sign that bacteria in the root canal has triggered an infection. 
• If the area around the root canal treatment becomes highly sensitive to hot or cold temperatures it could be a sign that the root canal treatment has failed. 
• If the area around the root canal treatment swells and/or becomes painful it could indicate an abscess or other form of infection. The same is true if you notice pus in that area of your mouth.  
• Even if pus or discharge is present without any pain or swelling it could indicate a failed root canal treatment. 

If you have any of these symptoms or a combination of two or more you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. An x-ray will be able to establish what has happened to the root canal and what needs to be done to put things right. 

The cost of this treatment will then form a part of a failed root canal compensation claim.

• Your dentists failed to meet their duty of care to you by not providing the standard of treatment you would reasonably expect from a qualified professional
• As a result of this negligence your root canal treatment failed, causing injury such as physical pain and psychological trauma

Any treatment which falls below reasonably expected standards could form the basis of a failed root canal compensation claim, but some of the more common examples of dental neglect during root canal procedures include the following:

• Your dentist failed to properly identify the infected tooth or establish the amount of infection present before starting the treatment 
• The treatment failed because of a technical error, such as damaging the surrounding teeth, over or under filling the root canals or leaving some of the infected bacteria behind
• Your dentist failed to properly sterilise the root canal before or after treatment, or used instruments which weren’t fully cleaned. As a result the root canal became infected.  
• Your dentist failed to arrange sufficient follow-up appointments at which they could monitor your recovery and check for early signs that the root canal had failed 
• Your dentist delayed diagnosing the infection in the root canal or failed to spot it at all, leading to the infection spreading, the loss of a tooth or unnecessary pain

To make things easier, break the claims process down into a series of individual steps. 

We then guide you through those steps in a caring and supportive manner, giving you the space to concentrate on getting over your negligent treatment while we work to win the compensation we think you’re entitled to. 

Step 1 – An initial consultation during which we listen to your experiences and decide whether you have strong grounds to make a failed root canal compensation claim

Step 2 – We take a detailed statement from you describing the treatment you received and the impact the failed root canal has had on your life 

Step 3 – We arrange an evaluation with an independent dental expert. This will provide a full picture of what went wrong with your root canal treatment, what the prognosis for any recovery is and the nature and extent of any further treatment you will require.    

Step 4 – We pull together the evidence to support your claim. This could include:

• Photographs of the aftermath of the failed root canal treatment
• Witness statements from friends and family describing the impact the treatment had on you
• Your dental records from before and after the failed root canal treatment 
• Medical records relating to the failed root canal, such as pain relief or antibiotics being prescribed or any therapy accessed to deal with psychological trauma
• Documents relating to the financial impact of the failed root canal treatment, such as wage slips, receipts for direct expenses and bank statements

Step 5 – We will contact the other party to tell them that you are making a failed root canal compensation claim. In all our cases we place the emphasis on dispute resolution and reaching an agreement without going to court. 

The majority of times the other party accepts liability as this stage in the process. 

Step 6 – We will negotiate a compensation settlement based on our understanding of the physical, psychological and financial impact of your negligent treatment. Although we aim to settle root canal compensation claims as quickly as possible, we never accept less than 100% of the compensation we think you are entitled to. 

Step 7 – A very small number of claims have to be settled in court. If this happens we will be by your side throughout, guiding you through the proceedings and arguing your case clearly and firmly.