A patient filed a lawsuit on February 4 in the Circuit Court of Jasper County, Missouri at Joplin against two dentists and a practice claiming that she has permanent nerve damage and severe pain after a bungled tooth extraction.
Heather Brown filed the suit against Drs. Charles McGinty, who performed the procedure, Greyson Spriggs, and Associates of Dentistry in Joplin, MO, the dental practice where the clinicians are partners. Brown is seeking an undisclosed amount of damages.
In February 2024, Brown claimed she visited the practice and was informed that she had an infection around two teeth. On that same day, McGinty reportedly extracted one tooth and surgically extracted the other, according to the lawsuit.
Brown claims in the suit that McGinty damaged one or more nerves adjacent to the teeth that were extracted, leaving her with permanent nerve damage; severe pain; and numbness in her mouth, lip, and chin.
She alleges in the lawsuit filing that McGinty was not qualified to perform the procedure; should have referred her to an oral surgeon; and failed to administer antibiotics before, during, and after the extractions.
Furthermore, Brown claimed that McGinty failed to explain the additional risks of harm from the surgical procedure. She further alleges she was at a greater risk of harm having the extractions done at a dental practice instead of in an oral surgeon’s operating theater, according to the suit.
“The negligent failure of defendant McGinty to disclose to plaintiff such additional and increased risks of harm directly caused or directly contributed to cause the injuries, damages, harms and losses described,” according to the lawsuit.
