Residents Worried As Dental Malpractice Claims Hit Record Highs

If you live in New York and feel a little nervous about going to the dentist, you’re not alone. A new study says New York has more dental malpractice reports than any other state in the country.

How the Ranking Was Done

The data comes from personal injury lawyer John Fitch, who looked at malpractice reports against dentists and dental hygienists from 2021 through 2024. He compared the number of reports to how many dentists are working in each state.

New York Dentists Top the List

In total, New York had 483 dental malpractice reports over four years. That’s about 3.41 reports for every 100 dentists. To put that into perspective, New York has 14,146 registered dentists.

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The worst year was 2023, with 155 reports filed. That was the second-highest number of reports for any state in a single year.

New Mexico and Maryland Follow Behind

New Mexico came in second, with 3.27 reports for every 100 dentists. Even though the state only has about 1,000 dentists, 33 reports were filed in the same four-year period. Most of them happened in 2023.

Maryland ranked third with 3.07 reports for every 100 dentists. The state had its highest number of complaints in 2022, with 42 reports.

Why It Matters for New Yorkers

Dental malpractice can include things like misdiagnosis, wrong procedures, or not giving proper care. It’s a reminder for patients to speak up if something doesn’t feel right during a visit and to always check their dentist’s reviews and licensing.

I WILL SAY THIS: I have never have had a problem with any dentist in the Southern Tier. They are some of the best people that I know and they care about our community. They take pride in what they do and my kids have always left with a smile...A good-looking smile.