Dentist Ordered to Pay €45,000 After Patient Loses Four Teeth

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Routine Filling Collapses Into Severe Complications

An Italian court in Piacenza has ordered a dentist to pay approximately €45,000 in damages to a patient who lost four teeth following a routine filling that deteriorated into severe complications, according to court records from the first-instance ruling.

The case stems from a 2022 treatment when the patient visited the dental clinic seeking relief for a toothache. What was planned as a standard procedure evolved into an incomplete root canal and dental reconstruction. In the weeks following the procedure, the patient experienced persistent, intense pain and difficulty chewing that did not resolve despite multiple follow-up visits to the same practitioner.

Hydrogen Peroxide Flushes Fail to Stop Infection

To address the ongoing symptoms, the dentist performed repeated root canal flushes using hydrogen peroxide. Because the pain persisted, the patient sought a second medical opinion.

Subsequent evaluations by outside specialists identified a large apical granuloma, which court-appointed medical experts later linked directly to the initial, incomplete endodontic therapy.

Hospital Specialists Order Multiple Extractions

The worsening clinical presentation eventually required intervention at the pain management unit of the hospital in Piacenza. To eliminate the granuloma and prevent further medical complications, specialists extracted three additional teeth alongside the tooth that prompted the initial dental visit.

Forensic Medical Reports Confirm Professional Negligence

During the subsequent legal proceedings, court-appointed experts concluded that the treatments administered by the dentist failed to meet expected professional standards. Forensic medical reports highlighted that the patient’s clinical course was defined by unremitting pain, a lack of improvement following the applied treatments, and the subsequent discovery of a lesion requiring extensive surgical intervention.

Judge Mandates €45,000 Payout for Physical and Moral Damages

The presiding judge ruled that a direct causal link existed between the dentist’s actions and the physical and psychological harm suffered by the patient. The first-instance court judgment found the dental professional negligent and imprudent, mandating the €45,000 payout to cover both moral and physical damages as well as legal costs associated with the lawsuit.