Surgery
Oral surgery expert witnesses
Listed oral surgery expert witnesses address extractions, surgical removal of teeth, biopsy and minor oral procedures. Inferior alveolar and lingual nerve injury after third molar surgery is the most frequent subject of instruction.
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The evidence
What an oral surgery expert witness is asked to determine
Oral surgery claims usually turn on the pre-operative radiograph. Whether the relationship between the tooth root and the nerve canal was appreciated, and whether that risk was discussed, generally decides the case before the technique is even considered.
- Whether the pre-operative radiograph showed a relationship to the nerve canal requiring further assessment.
- Whether the risk of nerve injury was discussed and recorded before the procedure.
- Whether the surgical technique used was appropriate to the difficulty anticipated.
- Whether a nerve injury or retained root was identified and referred without delay.
- What can be said about recovery of sensation and continuing symptoms.
Practitioners are listed across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Location can be narrowed in the register’s location listings before an instruction is made.
Claim contexts
Claims that instruct this discipline
These links describe the question oral surgery evidence can answer. They do not prescribe the scope of an individual instruction.
Clinical negligence claims
Assessment, consent and technique in surgical extraction.
View claim type → 02Personal injury claims
Oral and dental injury and its continuing effect.
View claim type → 03Criminal injuries compensation
Injury to teeth and jaw evidence following assault.
View claim type →Search the register by the discipline used in the instruction.
See oral surgery listingsReport routes
Reports prepared
Radiographs, consent records and operation notes support a records review report. A breach and causation report addresses the injury alleged.
A condition and prognosis report addresses continuing altered sensation and its effect. The report pages set out what each contains.
Oral surgery expert witness evidence
An oral surgeon expert witness begins with the pre-operative radiograph, because the risk it disclosed governs both consent and technique.
Filtering by discipline and location narrows the list before contact is made. See guidance from British Association of Oral Surgeons alongside the case material.
Directory search
Oral Surgery listings
Oral Surgery Expert Witness Cases & Claims
Related expert witness specialties
Questions answered
Frequently asked questions
Will an Oral Surgery expert witness respond to Part 35 questions?
Yes - CPR 35.6 entitles the parties to put written questions on a report, and answering them is part of the expert's duty to the court. A Oral Surgery report prepared for proceedings in England and Wales carries the Part 35 statement of truth, with equivalent duties applying in the other UK jurisdictions.
Can an Oral Surgery expert act as a single joint expert?
Where the court directs a single joint expert under CPR 35.7, the instruction is agreed between the parties and put jointly - a routine basis of instruction in this field. Whether a particular practitioner accepts SJE appointments is confirmed with the practitioner at the enquiry stage.
Will the expert attend joint discussions or give evidence at trial?
Where the court directs discussions between experts under CPR 35.12, they meet and produce a joint statement of what is agreed and what is disputed; attendance at trial - in person or by video link - is likewise a matter of court direction. These commitments are confirmed with the practitioner at instruction.
Can I choose an Oral Surgery expert of a specific gender, or one who assesses remotely?
Yes on both counts. Every listing displays the practitioner's gender, consulting locations and assessment types - face to face, remote or both - so sensitive-instruction preferences can be applied at the shortlisting stage, before any contact is made.