Negligent Removal of Permanent Molars Prompts $700,000 Settlement

​Providers in Virginia entered into a $700,000 settlement to resolve allegations of negligent removal of an adolescent patient's adult molars, according to a case report from the December 2018 issue of Trial. The 13-year-old patient was referred to an oral surgeon for extraction of several baby teeth. A staff member at the referring dentist's office made an error in filling out the paperwork, making it appear that the referral was for extraction of the patient's permanent first molars. The oral surgeon removed all four of the patient's first molars.