Dental malpractice review and expert testimony

I review the clinical record, chart notes, radiographs, models and photographs, and form an opinion on two questions: whether the care met the standard of care, and whether any departure from it caused the injury being claimed. You get that opinion verbally first, so we can talk it through. If the matter proceeds, it becomes a written report, an affidavit, deposition testimony, or trial testimony, as the case requires.

The standard of care is what a reasonably prudent dentist with similar training would have done under similar circumstances. It is not the best care theoretically available, and it is not what looks obvious in hindsight once the outcome is known. In practice the question usually resolves into four: was the diagnosis defensible, was the treatment plan defensible, was informed consent obtained and documented, and was the treatment executed competently. General dentists performing specialty services are held to the same standard as a specialist.

A prosthodontist is a dental specialist who completes three years of accredited postdoctoral residency beyond dental school, concentrated on restoring and replacing teeth: full mouth rehabilitation with teeth and/or implants, crowns and bridges, dentures, implant restorations including All-on-4 and All-on-X, occlusion, and sleep apnea.

It matters because opposing counsel will raise it. Where the treatment at issue is specialty work, an expert without specialty training invites a challenge to qualifications before the opinion is ever reached on its merits.

Both. I accept engagements from plaintiff and defense counsel alike, and the analysis does not change with the side that retains me. The records form my clinical judgment. Justice is the highest standard, and it is served by whichever side the evidence supports.

I tell you early. Every case deserves a careful look, and a candid read after that look is worth more to you than a report that props up a theory the record will not carry. You are better served finding that out at the review stage than in a deposition.

We start with a short introductory call to discuss the matter, the jurisdiction, and a conflicts check, before any records change hands. After that, the complete dental record: chart and treatment notes, radiographs, treatment plans, models and photographs, and the records of any dentist who treated the patient before or after the care at issue.

Prosthodontics, dental implants, general and restorative dentistry, treatment planning, periodontics, oral surgery, TMD and occlusion, and oral pathology. The full list is above. If your matter sits outside those areas, get in touch anyway and I will tell you honestly whether I am the right expert for it. I have a network of other experts whom I am happy to refer you to, if it’s a better fit.

Yes. I accept engagements nationwide. Record review, case analysis, and conferences with counsel are handled remotely, and I travel for deposition and trial testimony as the matter requires.