Tooth Extraction Negligence Claims Solicitors in Manchester

To prove negligence, you need to establish three things:

1. Your dentist owed you a duty of care

2. They breached that duty by falling below the standard of care
3. The breach caused your injury or financial loss.

These three elements, duty of care, breach of duty, and causation, are the legal foundation of every tooth extraction negligence claim.

Under the standards set by the General Dental Council (GDC), dentists must:

• Identify the correct tooth
• Obtain your consent
• Perform the procedure with appropriate skill
• Give you clear aftercare guidance.

A failure at any of those stages can support a negligence claim.

The ones we see most often in our practice:

• Wrong tooth extracted: Removing the wrong tooth will usually amount to negligent dental treatment. It means that you’ve undergone an unnecessary procedure while your original problem tooth remains. 
• Incomplete extraction: When root tips or bone fragments are left in the gum, you could experience ongoing pain and dental infections. Incomplete extractions can also delay healing well beyond the normal recovery time.
• Nerve damage: Inexperience or rushing through an extraction can cause permanent damage to the trigeminal nerve. A damaged nerve can cause chronic pain and permanent numbness or tingling.
• Jaw fracture: The force needed to remove a tooth can sometimes fracture the jaw. If your dentist didn’t warn you of this risk, or poor technique caused the jaw fracture, you may have a claim.
• Post-extraction infection: Aftercare is essential after an extraction. Did your dentist fail to prescribe antibiotics when needed? Or did they give you no aftercare guidance at all? All this can amount to negligence.
• No informed consent. Informed consent is a legal requirement under both GDC standards and common law. Before an extraction, your dentist must explain your risks in plain terms.

If you are seeking compensation after a dentist removed the wrong tooth, or if a failed tooth extraction has left you in pain or requiring further treatment, our solicitors can assess your claim.

The most common sign that something is wrong is worsening pain or swelling. Persistent numbness or tingling in or around the mouth often indicates nerve damage. And if you can see visible bone fragments in the gum or your wound isn’t healing, see your dentist or get a second opinion.

If you suspect something went wrong, make a note of your symptoms and when they started. That record can be useful evidence later. If you think the dentist’s standard of care fell short, speak to our dental negligence solicitors. We can help you find out whether what happened was an unavoidable complication or the result of substandard dentistry.

Under the Limitation Act 1980, you have three years to bring a dental negligence claim. The clock typically starts ticking on the date of the negligent treatment. But sometimes, the problem isn’t discovered straight away. 

For example, if retained fragments only showed up on a later X-ray, the three years can run from the “date of knowledge.” This means from the day when you first became aware that negligence had caused your harm. 

It makes no difference whether your extraction was carried out on the NHS or privately. Your right to claim compensation is the same. For NHS treatment, the claim is handled through NHS Resolution. Private dentists are held to exactly the same professional standards as NHS dentists. They carry professional indemnity insurance required to cover claims like yours. 

Bear in mind that the three-year time limit under the Limitation Act 1980 means delays can cost you your right to claim compensation.