Doctors who fail to diagnose an illness or misdiagnose a medical condition, often inflict needless pain and injury upon affected patients. The misdiagnosis of a serious heart condition or cancer can ultimately result in a patient experiencing serious health complications that could result in a permanent disability or even death.

While traditional medical doctors are most readily associated with cases involving misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose, dentists may also fail to recognize and diagnose more serious health conditions. Dentists are trained to not only treat and advocate for the health of a patient's teeth, but also their overall oral health. In many cases, dentists are the first to notice and diagnose cases of mouth and throat cancer.

One man recently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against three separate dentists who he contends failed to both diagnose and treat his throat cancer. Upon visiting the dentists, it was noted in the man's chart that he exhibited unusual signs including limited mobility in opening his mouth, an enlarged nodual near his lower jaw and loss of taste. Despite these unusual health signs, however, all three dentists proceeded to perform scheduled dental work.

According to the lawsuit, all three dentists failed to either perform or perform the correct diagnostic tests that could have potentially lead to a diagnosis of the man's throat cancer. Instead, the man asserts, all three dentists failed to provide a professional level and standard of care in monitoring, diagnosing or treating the man.

After months, the man was finally diagnosed as having throat cancer. The delay of his diagnosis, however, resulted in the man suffering unnecessary pain and suffering, annoyance and mental anguish. In addition, the man's delayed cancer diagnosis may adversely impact his long-term prognosis and standard of life.

Source: The West Virginia Record, "Man sues three dentists over treatment," Kyla Asbury, May 3, 2013