Mouth Bacteria found in Spine!

[Yagz]

Jurisdiction

Colorado

A person goes to the dentist then 6 weeks after his back starts hurting. He gets treated for back pain. Two weeks later a MRI done. In hospital that day. An infection is found in the spine. After 9 weeks of IV antibiotics the infection is not gone. Major surgery where a good biopsy taken. disc replaced and infection cut away. 7 more weeks on IV Antibiotics. The biopsy comes back. The bacteria is common to the mouth. Now can we prove the dentist caused the infection? After the first 9 weeks he was sent to the dentist to have the tooth pulled. 2nd dentist said tooth would not have lasted a year vs the 1st dentist who claimed it would. How does one prove such a case?

 

[Betty3]

If you believe you might have a case, you need to take all medical/dental records to a medical malpractice attorney & discuss.

 

[ElleMD]

Agree with the above but the standard for med/mal cases is whether or not the standard of care was breached and if that lack is the actual cause of the injury. Just knowing the tooth removal led to an infection in the back (aside from how?) does not mean the dentist breached the standard of care. Every medical procedure comes with risks, even when performed perfectly. Having chosen to ignore the opinion of a different dentist in favor of this one's recommendation means very, very little in a med/mal case. Medical providers frequently have different recommendations and approaches but it does not mean one is right and another wrong.

 

[Yagz]

I will once I know he's going to live. We are still fighting the infection

 

[Betty3]

I will once I know he's going to live. We are still fighting the infection

I hope he makes a complete recovery.