Mismanaged Anesthesia Can Cause Severe Injuries or Death During Dental Procedures
The mismanagement of anesthesia during a dental procedure or dental surgery is only one of the three potentially deadly risks of dental malpractice, but it is often the gravest. Dentists often use different form of anesthesia to help ease discomfort and make difficult surgeries possible, but the use of anesthesia comes with serious risks. If something goes wrong with the anesthesia, the patient could “wake up” to weeks or years of disability—or the patient might not wake up at all.
Potential Problems With Local Anesthetics in Dental Procedures
Although rare, patients can have a negative reaction to an overdose of local anesthetics used in dental procedures. This is especially a risk in children, who can reach toxic levels more quickly because of their lower weight. If a dentist isn’t careful to control and adequately plan for the correct dosage of local anesthetic, the patient can suffer from complications. Dentists could also cause trauma to nerves in the mouth during injection, which might create lingering feelings of numbness, tingling, or “pins and needles” in the area. In these rare cases, the injuries are often mild, but there is a risk for more severe issues—even for in-office procedures.
Potentially Serious Risks for Patients Who Are “Going Under” for a Dental Surgery
Although dental surgeries may not seem as invasive as a hip or knee surgery, they share a similar risk as the patient is being “put under” with general anesthesia. Administering the wrong dosage or otherwise mismanaging anesthesia during these kinds of dental surgeries can similarly result in neurological difficulties, brain injury, spinal cord damage, and even death. These difficulties can range from mild to severe, and patients may be dealing with symptoms for the rest of their lives following the mistake.
Get Informed About Your Rights After a Potential Anesthesia Mistake Harms Your Family
The injuries that result from the mismanagement of anesthesia during dental procedures can create physical difficulties, emotional strain, and financial stress—even though it isn’t the patient’s fault. In many cases, these injuries could have been prevented if the dentist or anesthetist had taken appropriate action or been more careful about patient safety. If you aren’t sure what happened or why you came out of surgery with an injury, it’s important that you find out.
If you believe that you or a family member may have suffered an injury due to dental malpractice, you can get more information about your legal rights and how to investigate your case by calling our law office today at 312-332-1400.
