There are many different types of oral health care providers that you could potentially come into contact with for your dental needs. Dentists, orthodontists, periodontists, and oral surgeons are all medical professionals that provide treatment for teeth, gums, and/or your mouth.
No matter what their dental specialty, they are all held to a certain standard of medical care. Furthermore, the education and training of oral health care professionals should be on par with those of medical schools.
Even if an oral health professional has had all the proper training mistakes still happen. If a dental professional fails to uphold the standard of care and causes injury to a patient then this could lead to a dental malpractice case. Dentists, just like other medical professionals, can also make mistakes which in some instances could lead to injury, pain, and suffering to their dental patient. General Dentists receive a little bit of training in dental school in specialized areas of dentistry, such as root canals, implants, extractions, and orthodontia. Then some General Dentists take weekend courses to learn more about these areas of practice but may still have very little hands on experience or skill in these areas. This can lead to extensive or even permanent injuries.