Very few people look forward to a visit to their dentist. You spend at least an hour with someone's hands in your mouth while they pick away at your teeth and gums with all sorts of unpleasant implements and tools. It's also pretty uncomfortable having to keep your mouth wide open for so long. Nevertheless, to maintain the health of one's teeth, it is important to see your dentist every six months for a checkup and cleaning. It seems relatively harmless, and thus, unlikely that something will go wrong at the hands of your dentist. However, there are instances where dental malpractice does take place.

Dental malpractice and malpractice claims arise from the negligence on the part of your dentist. This type of malpractice occurs when your dentist fails to diagnose a major oral disorder or disease, performs shoddy dental work that falls below the standard of care in the industry, negligently delays necessary oral treatment, or engages in any other misconduct related to his duties as a dentist. Most Dental malpractice results in the patient suffering pain, although more severe cases can result in permanent injuries, such as periodontal disease or the loss of oral or facial sensation.

There are many different kinds of injuries that can result in dental malpractice claims. Such claims may include:

• Injury suffered due to anesthesia administered improperly
• Infection of the gums, teeth, or jaw as a result of using dental equipment improperly
• Failure to diagnose and / or treat periodontal disease in the gums
• Loss of one's taste buds
• Unnecessary extraction of teeth
• Delayed treatment of a dental disorder
• Misdiagnosis of a dental disorder
• Lost sensation in gums, teeth, or jaw
• Death as a result of oral surgery

Those dentists who typically are guilty of dental malpractice are more interested in the money they are making from you by performing certain procedures rather than the necessity or advisability of the procedure in your particular case. This is especially true in today's climate of the popularity and regularity of cosmetic dental surgery, most of which are for aesthetic purposes rather than due to a healthy necessity.

It is always important when you visit your dentist not to feel pressured into agreeing to have certain procedures that they may suggest. You can always seek a second opinion, but if you do, let the other dentist know that you are doing so, as you do not want to enter another dentist's office and have him recommend a procedure because he thinks he will get to do the work, and thus, earn that money for himself. You should feel comfortable in asking each and every dentist you see plenty of questions to make sure all of your questions and concerns are answered. Most dental procedures are not required urgently that you must decide that very day.

If you have not been feeling any pain or discomfort in your teeth or gums, chances are that everything is okay and, at the very least, could wait a few weeks while you investigate what your dentist has told you. If your dentist tells you that he must perform a procedure that day, you may be sitting in the chair of a dental professional who often engages in dental malpractice. Seek another opinion and let your dentist know that you will be doing so. You may see a change in his behavior and recommendations at that point.