Last Updated 10th February 2026. If your dentist took the wrong tooth out, you could potentially receive between £10,660 to £13,930 for the loss of or severe damage to several front teeth, according to the compensation guidelines within the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG).
All dentists are required to meet a minimum standard of care when giving treatment. This means that when you need to have a tooth removed, they should take the necessary precautions to avoid causing avoidable pain during this procedure. Having the wrong tooth removed not only fails to treat the original issue, but it can also give rise to further complications.
You can speak with an advisor anytime to find out whether you can seek compensation. They understand that this can be a stressful situation, and you are likely seeking straightforward advice. By speaking with them directly, you can get the information you need and even access our tailored case assessment service. This gives you a tailored estimate of what your compensation could cover.
Key Questions
- What can cause the wrong tooth to be removed? There are many applicable examples, such as poor communication, a failure to read your dental records or mislabelling of the tooth.
- What happens if a dentist pulls the wrong tooth? Once it becomes clear that the dentist removed the wrong tooth, they should inform you of the issue and take the appropriate steps to treat you. You can then contact a law firm to find out whether you could seek compensation.
- Can I claim for anxiety caused by a wrong tooth extraction? Yes, psychological harm is covered under general damages.
- Can I recover the cost of a dental implant? Yes, you can seek compensation for the cost of the implant to replace the tooth that was wrongly extracted.
- Can I report a dentist? Yes, you can report a dentist to the General Dental Council (this is the body that aims to protect dental patient safety in the UK.
Get in touch with one of our advisors to discuss your potential dental negligence claim.
4.8 (466 reviews) How Much Compensation For A Wrong Tooth Extraction?
If your wrong tooth extraction claim is successful, your compensation could potentially be made up of two different heads of claim. These heads of claim are known as special and general damages.
General damages will definitely be awarded, whereas special damages could be awarded.
General damages compensate for the physical and psychological suffering you have been through due to dental negligence. These factors are some that are considered:
- The pain severity.
- Loss of amenity.
- The extent of the treatment required.
Reports from your independent medical assessment can be used alongside the JCG by legal professionals and anyone else involved in evaluating claims to help them calculate general damages.
The JCG is a document that contains guideline compensation values for all sorts of injuries and illnesses.
Guideline Compensation Table
Below, there are some types of harm that could be suffered if a dentist took the wrong tooth out. There are also some guideline compensation values, provided by the JCG (except for the first value, which is not from the JCG).
Please bear in mind that none of the figures in the JCG can be promised for your specific dental negligence claim. This is because all claims are different.
| Injury | Type | Guideline Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries + Special Damages | Very Serious | Up to £150,000+ |
| Facial Disfigurement | Very Severe Scarring | £36,340 to £118,790 |
| Less Significant Facial Scarring | £4,820 to £16,770 | |
| Skeletal Injuries | Fractures of Jaws (i) | £37,210 to £55,570 |
| Fractures of Jaws (ii) | £21,920 to £37,210 | |
| Damage to Teeth | Up to £46,540 | |
| Damage to Teeth (i) | £10,660 to £13,930 | |
| Damage to Teeth (ii) | £5,310 to £9,310 | |
| Damage to Teeth (iii) | £2,690 to £4,820 | |
| Damage to Teeth (iv) | £1,330 to £2,080 |
Special Damages For A Dental Negligence Claim
Special damages compensate for any financial losses you have incurred due to dental negligence.
As such, special damages can help you recoup:
- The cost of dental implants
- Medication costs, including over-the-counter painkillers
- Loss of earnings for time spent off work as a result of the negligent dentist. For example, days off to attend appointments.
- Further dental treatment costs
Since special damages are not awarded in all dental negligence claims, you must provide evidence of your monetary suffering. Such evidence includes bank statements, invoices, payslips, and receipts.
For more information on how much compensation you could receive after your dentist took the wrong tooth out, please contact us today and explain your circumstances.
Can You Sue A Dentist For Taking Out The Wrong Tooth?
Yes, you can sue a dentist for taking the wrong tooth out. Those working in dental health, dentists, dental nurses and dental hygienists are all considered to be healthcare professionals and therefore have an obligation to provide their patients with care that meets the correct standards. This is the dentist’s duty of care.
A breach of these standards that causes the patient avoidable harm amounts to dental negligence, and compensation can be sought. The eligibility requirements to sue a dentist who took the wrong tooth out have been summarised below:
- You were owed a duty of care. Dentists are healthcare professionals and, therefore, required to provide care that meets the expected standards. This duty is the same whether or not the dentist works in private or public healthcare.
- This duty was breached in some way. There are many ways a dentist could fail to meet the required standards, for the purposes of our guide however, we are concerned with the wrong tooth being extracted.
- This breach caused you avoidable harm. In order to claim dental negligence compensation, you need to have experienced some harm. This harm is deemed “avoidable” if it would not have happened had the correct standard of care been given in the first place.
More information on claiming wrong tooth extraction compensation can be sought from our advisors. We can also provide an eligibility assessment free of charge so get in touch with our dedicated team today.
4.8 (466 reviews) How Can A Tooth Extraction Go Wrong?
A tooth extraction could go wrong for a number of reasons. For example:
- The wrong tooth is removed
- A lack of sterilisation of tools prior to surgery could lead to an infection of the gum
- A failure to pull the tooth, or it’s root, out entirely could lead to a nerve injury and future growth problems
- An error while performing the extraction, could lead to the fracture or breaking of other surrounding teeth.
All of these actions could be seen as negligence on the part of a dentist, and they could be found liable for any harm caused.
If you have suffered due to a botched tooth extraction and want to seek compensation for a loss of teeth or other form of harm, please reach out to one of our advisers.
What Is The Wrong Tooth Extraction Claim Process?
The wrong tooth extraction compensation claims process starts when you inform the defendant that a claim is being made against them, although there are multiple steps before that stage. This can all seem a little intimidating, but this is where Legal Expert step in. We have summarised some of the key steps for you here, and our advisors are available to answer further questions and provide a free eligibility check.
Get Medical Help
Per the NHS guidance, a knocked out tooth is a medical emergency and a dentist needs to get the tooth back into its proper place as soon as possible. Now, if the dentist realises the error, they can likely deal with it right then and there. If not, and the tooth has been disposed of, you will still have a tooth that needs to be removed as well as the gap. So, ask for an emergency dental appointment, and get the correct tooth removed and then discuss your options for the removed healthy tooth with your dentist.
While your health is the most important thing, getting treatment will generate medical records of the harm you have experienced, as well as what care you received to address it. These records can then form part of your evidence.
Report The Incident
You can report the incorrect tooth extraction by informing your dental surgery of what occurred and, if you wish, filing a formal complaint. It is not required that you first complain before seeking compensation, but raising a complaint can help in terms of creating a paper trail of what occurred, and this formal record of the harm you suffered can then in turn be useful as evidence.
Collect Supporting Evidence
Gathering the right evidence is very important because not only do you need to demonstrate fault, but also you need to show the extent of the harm that has been caused to you. Examples include:
- Medical records as we said above. A copy of your dental x-ray as well as your patient notes, will show that you were supposed to have one tooth removed, and then the dentist removed the wrong one.
- Proof of any financial harm that has been sustained due to the harm caused.
- Any person who attended the surgery with you could give a witness statement. Pass any relevant contact details to the solicitor so witnesses can be interviewed during the claim.
Consult A Solicitor
Seeking appropriate advice from an experienced dental negligence solicitor will give your case the best possible chance of succeeding. A trained legal professional can explain the process in more detail, give you a better understanding of the compensation you may be entitled to and support you throughout the claims process. To get free legal advice, simply contact our advisors for an eligibility consultation. If eligible, a member of the team will put you through to one of our dental negligence experts.
Be Aware Of The Time Limits
Typically, you will have 3 years to claim dental negligence compensation, although certain exceptions can apply to this. Our guide on the medical negligence time limits explains this further, and you can reach out to advisors at any time with questions.
We know there’s a lot here and we fully appreciate you may need further clarification on some things before you decide to proceed with a claim. Legal Expert’s highly knowledgeable advisory team can put any concerns to rest, and provide a free, no obligation eligibility check at a time that suits you. Talk to us today using the contact information given above.
How Long Will It Take To Make A Claim?
It can take anywhere from a few months to a couple of years to make a wrong tooth extraction claim. Without listening to your specific circumstances, we cannot give you an exact time for how long it could take for you to claim compensation.
This is because each dental negligence claim is different, and these individual factors will affect the length of each case:
- The complexity of your injury. The more severe your pain, and the longer your recovery, the longer your claim may take.
- How quickly the defendant takes to respond to communications.
- Whether the defendant takes full responsibility for your harm, or whether they argue liability.
- How long compensation negotiations take.
- How long it takes for all of your evidence to be gathered.
- Whether your claim gets taken to court proceedings or not.
This is why it is really important to contact us as soon as possible if a dentist took the wrong tooth out. If you’re eligible for dental negligence compensation, we can get your claim started for you as soon as possible. Because all of our solicitors are experts, they will ensure that your claims process is as quick and simple as it can possibly be.
No Win No Fee Dental Malpractice Wrong Tooth Extraction Claims
If you suffered due to a negligent tooth extraction and would like to make a claim, one of our solicitors could help you on a No Win No Fee basis. They typically offer their legal representation under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement.
A No Win No Fee solicitor usually won’t charge upfront for their services. They typically won’t ask you to pay for any ongoing costs either. If your solicitor is successful, they will take a legally limited success fee from your award. Should your claim not succeed, your solicitor typically won’t ask for a payment for their services.
You can get in touch with our advisors if you have any questions about what steps to take after the dentist pulled the wrong tooth. In addition to free advice, they can check the eligibility of your claim. If it seems valid, you could be put in touch with one of our solicitors. Our solicitors usually offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis.
To speak to an advisor:
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Start your claim online.
- Use our live webchat at the bottom of the screen.
Contact Legal Expert Today
If you suffer because your dentist extracted the wrong tooth, you can start a dental negligence claim. You can contact us on the number above or by using the contact form or live chat and requesting a callback.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we’ve given the answers to a few common questions regarding what to do after a dentist took the wrong tooth out. While we hope these quickfire questions are helpful to you, it’s still very important to contact us for more in-depth advice.
I Think My Dentist Pulled The Wrong Tooth – What Should I Do Next?
Inform your dental surgery that you think there has been a mistake as soon as you realise the wrong tooth was removed. If you tell the dentist during the appointment, it’s entirely possible to put the tooth back in then and there. In cases where some time has passed, contact the surgery and tell them what happened.
Is Removing The Wrong Tooth Considered Dental Negligence?
Yes it is. It should be very clear in your patient notes which is the tooth needs to be removed so the wrong tooth being taken out is always avoidable.
Can You Sue A Dentist For Breaking Your Tooth During Treatment?
The short answer is, it depends. The longer answer is, the key to dental negligence claims is proving there was a failure to meet standards that caused avoidable harm so if the tooth was broken due to error, then yes you could sue for this. However, if a situation arises where the correct standards were met, but unforeseen complications arise that mean a healthy tooth needs to be broken to remove a different tooth, this would not be medical negligence.
Do Dental Records Show Which Tooth Should Have Been Treated?
Yes they will. Your dental records should show the the findings of your check up, including if a tooth needs to be taken out.
Does The Dentist Have To Admit Fault To Claim Compensation?
No, a dentist does not have to admit fault for you to make a dental negligence claim. A claim can still proceed if independent dental experts find that your treatment fell below acceptable professional standards and caused avoidable harm. Solicitors typically rely on dental records, X-rays, and expert reports to prove negligence, even if the dentist denies responsibility.
Can I Claim For Corrective Dental Treatment And Cosmetic Work?
Yes, you may be able to claim compensation for corrective dental treatment and cosmetic work if negligence caused damage to your teeth, gums, or appearance. Compensation can cover the cost of restorative procedures such as implants, crowns, veneers, orthodontic treatment, or reconstructive surgery, where they are needed to repair harm caused by negligent dental care.
Thank you for reading our guide on what to do after a dentist took the wrong tooth out. Legal Expert maintain a 24 hour advisory service so any more questions you have can be put to our team whenever it’s convenient for you. Get in touch today using the contact details provided above.
