Summary
Mrs C complained about orthodontic treatment (dentistry dealing with the prevention and correction of irregular teeth) provided to her son (Mr A). Mrs C was of the view that the treatment left Mr A with an underbite (a condition in which the lower teeth and jaw protrude in front of the upper teeth) and no continuity between his top and bottom teeth.
We took advice from our orthodontic adviser. He advised that the treatment provided had focused solely on Mr A's upper jaw. This was reasonable as the rate of growth in the lower jaw was unpredictable. The orthodontist who treated Mr A was entitled to take a view on whether treatment to Mr A's lower jaw was appropriate. Our investigation found that the care and treatment provided to Mr A was reasonable and that the growth of his lower jaw could not have been affected by orthodontic treatment, making it impossible for the development of his underbite to be prevented.
Related reading
View Decision Report 201300472 as a PDF (11.04 KB) Updated: March 13, 2018