The largest specialist dental negligence firm in the UK.

How long do I have to make a dental negligence claim?

The time limit for making a dental negligence claim is three years from the date negligence occurred, or when you became aware of the negligence. There are exceptions for patients under the age of 18 (whose three year window starts from their eighteenth birthday) and those suffering from mental illness (whose three years start from their recovery from the illness).

How can I prove a dental negligence claim?

Essentially, you need to prove:

• That you did not receive the standard of care you could reasonably expect from a competent dentist.
• The negligence directly caused an injury or resulted in a worse outcome for yourself

Our website has a separate guide on how to prove dental negligence, which is worth reading if you need a little more information.

How does a ‘no win, no fee’ agreement work?

A ‘no win, no fee’ agreement — otherwise called a ‘conditional fee agreement’ — basically means that, if your dental negligence claim fails, you will not be charged for any work undertaken by your solicitor on the case. You will also not be required to pay anything upfront.

However, it is crucial that you are always completely honest with your solicitor during the case. Otherwise, the case could be found to be fraudulent or dishonest and consequently lead you to have to pay the defendant’s legal expenses.

If your claim does succeed, a small share of any compensation you are awarded will need to be paid to your solicitor.

For more information on how our ‘no win, no fee’ agreement works, don’t hesitate to get in touch and a member of our team will be happy to help.

Private dental work

Most cosmetic dentistry needs to be done privately, unless there is a clinical need for the work to be done, in which case, it may be covered by NHS treatment – you will need to ask your dentist about that. Some private clinics allow their patients to take out payment plans to gradually pay off the cost of their treatment. This should be discussed with your dental practice and the full cost of any treatment and aftercare should be understood before committing to the work being done.

Regular or emergency dental work can also be carried out by private dental professionals, and the cost of this will vary from practice to practice.

NHS dental work

For those who pay for their NHS dental work, in any of the three different bands of treatment, you will be expected to pay for your treatment when you receive it.

If your dentist has recommended work that you don’t think you need, you can seek a second opinion from another dentist to see if they agree that the treatment originally recommended is required. If your dentist has already carried out work that you believe wasn’t necessary, and you feel that they have been negligent in your care, you may be able to make a claim against them.

Can A&E help with dental problems?

In some circumstances and if your problem is urgent, you may be able to get some help with dental pain from A&E (Accident & Emergency) but only if:

• You are bleeding significantly and the bleeding will not stop
• You have difficulty breathing
• You are in very severe pain that isn’t helped by painkillers
• You have suffered trauma to your face, mouth or teeth as a result of an accident or injury

Regular dental treatment cannot be given by A&E departments and they will refer patients instead to the emergency and out-of-hours dental services unless they meet the above criteria. Recent research found that people going to A&E instead of seeking help from a dentist could be costing the NHS up to £18m a year.