Platinum Author
Failure to diagnose is one of the most common forms of medical malpractice, but many misconceptions still exist concerning it. One of these misconceptions is that only medical doctors are capable of being held liable for failure to diagnose. Any medical professional who is capable of diagnosing patients can be guilty of this serious error. That means that doctors, nurse practitioners and even dentists can be sued.
Dentists are responsible for much more than just filling cavities. Dentistry is defined as a branch of medicine that is involved in the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and surgical or non-surgical treatment of disease, disorder and conditions of the oral cavity. So, despite how a dentist's work may seem different from what a doctor does, they are largely responsible for many of the same things - only those things involve the mouth.
Common Oral Diseases Dentists Fail to Diagnose
There are a number of different diseases or disorders of the oral cavity that can result in serious injury or death if they are not properly diagnosed. If a dentist sees a patient and observes visible signs of these diseases, or the patient complains of symptoms related to these diseases and disorders and the dentist fails to diagnose the ailment-resulting in serious injury or death-the dentist can be held legally liable for failure to diagnose.
Some common diseases of the oral cavity that must be properly diagnosed by dentists include:
• cancerous conditions in the mouth, tongue or jaw-such as squamous cell carcinoma
• Gingivitis
• Periodontal disease
• Disorder of the hard tissues of the teeth or cavities
• Disorder of the dental pulp and periapical tissues
• Malignant neoplasms or cancer of the mouth
Dentists should never feel that their responsibility for accurate diagnosis is less than that of a doctor's.
About this Author
To find out more about dentists and failure to diagnose, visit the website of the San Antonio medical malpractice lawyers of Stouwie & Mayo.
James Witherspoon
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Witherspoon
