Supporting National Smile Month
National Smile Month is the UK’s largest and longest running campaign to promote good oral health. The campaign is organized by the Oral Health Foundation, and is taking place between 14 May and 14 June 2018.
The aim of National Smile Month is to ultimately improve the UK’s oral health by raising awareness of important health issues and making a positive difference to the oral health of millions of people living in the UK.
The campaign is hoping that “all dental and health professionals, schools, pharmacies, community groups, colleges and workplaces – in fact anyone with an interest in good oral healthcare – will be encouraged to join in and help the Foundation educate, motivate and communicate positive oral health messages and improve the quality of smiles all around the UK.”
Clearly, National Smile Month is aiming to reach out to as many people as possible; in some situations, however, this might be quite difficult or challenging because some people who have been the recipients of poor dental treatment might be reluctant or even unable to engage in such activities.
Delay or incorrect diagnosis of dental problems, inappropriate fillings and root canal treatment, cosmetic and restorative dentistry errors, nerve injuries and incorrect tooth extractions are all good examples of poor dental practice that can lead to financial loss, physical pain and psychological trauma. Some injuries can also prove life changing.
Many of these cases are often pursued as clinical negligence claims and can give rise to significant damages awards. The Dental Defence Union (DDU) has previously announced that they had settled 11 claims exceeding £100,000 in 2015, and in the preceding decade paid in total almost £5 million in compensation.
One of the most popular ways to re-build the perfect smile is to elect for dental implants, but, like any other form of treatment, there are risks involved and things may not always go to plan. From 2004 to 2013, the DDU received 311 claims in relation to dental implants and have settled in excess of 100 of these cases with one claim settling for over £200,000 and the average claim settling in the region of £34,000.
The Clinical Negligence Team at Wolferstans is experienced in advising people who have sustained personal injuries as a result of negligent dental treatment and have succeeded in securing several awards of a significant value in connection with this line of work.
By helping people to regain their confidence and return to a normal way of life following a dental mishap, Wolferstans are proud to be in a position where they can encourage people to continue to support the National Smile Month campaign.
If you have been the recipient of poor dental treatment and you would like to discuss the possibility of pursuing a claim in respect of this treatment, then please contact Jodie O’Connor on