Legal advice from Brian Owens, a specialist litigation executive in Warrington
Q: I went to my dentist with toothache, but after their recommendation for an extraction the pain is still there, and worse.
A: It is not unusual after an extraction for there to be ongoing pain. Often this is just post extraction pain which eases over a short period of time.
However if it does continue, it could indicate a number of problems. Most obviously, has the correct tooth been extracted? Was the initial pain due to more than one tooth being affected? It may also have been due to the fact that the original pain was not just tooth decay, but relating to an underlying abscess or an infection.
There are a number of steps that can and should be taken so as to ensure that the correct treatment is provided. A prudent dentist would always take a full medical history especially if there is ongoing treatment for other conditions. It would be critical to determine if you, the patient, was on any medication or undergoing more significant treatment such as for clotting or bleeding problems, rheumatic fever or heart valve defects.
Taking a dental radiograph will assist the dentist in identifying the root cause of the symptoms and if such was due to tooth decay, damage or an underlying abscess or infection, then a course of antibiotics would be needed. Once the infection has been treated a further radiograph and perhaps a blood test to ensure no residual infection was present, would then allow treatment to proceed.
If however you feel that you have suffered dental negligence from the treatment received, then it is recommended you seek specialist legal advice.
To discuss call Brian Owens on 01925 230000 or email brian.owens@fdrlaw.co.uk