Dental Malpractice and Unnecessary Procedures

Medical malpractice in Tennessee comes in many forms. When people think of medical negligence, the understandably think of physicians and hospitals. With that said, dentists can also be found to have committed malpractice. There are a number of ways in which dentists can do so, and they include dentists who recommend unnecessary procedures for their patients.

What Constitutes Dental Malpractice?

The same legal standard is applied to dentists that is used more broadly in medical malpractice cases involving physicians and other health care providers. The duty of care imposed upon dentists is that they must provide treatment to their patients in the manner of similarly situated professionals.

Dental Malpractice and Recommending Unnecessary Procedures

Every year, dentists in Tennessee and elsewhere in the United States inappropriately recommend unnecessary procedures for their patients. In some instances, this occurs because dentists are negligent and simply failed to take a professional proper course of action. In other instances, dentists intentionally recommend unnecessary procedures as means of increasing revenue to their practices.

Dental Practices Owned by Private Equity Investors

In recent years, the rise of dental practices that are part of what fairly can be called chains have come under the ownership of private equity firms. As a consequence, the drive to increase revenues and profits is significantly more intense. This reality is recognized as a motivating factor in an associated increase in the recommendation of unnecessary procedures. If you believe that you or a loved one have been subjected to some type of unnecessary dental procedure, a Tennessee medical malpractice attorney can explain your essential legal rights.