Medical dispute over root canal filling material leak

South Korea: Temporary root canal filling material leakage during root canal treatment can lead to medical disputes, according to an announcement by Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, the manager of liability insurance for dentists.

The insurance company shared a case in which a patient suffered from persistent oral pain due to temporary root canal filling material leakage during the treatment, and was later diagnosed with chronic maxillary sinusitis from another hospital.

Share of Responsibility

The insurance company calculated the responsibility of the medical staff at 70% based on a medical review of the case. It was judged that the decision by the medical staff to restore the crown after root canal treatment according to the degree of cracks in the patient’s teeth at the time was the correct treatment plan.

However, it was also found that the temporary root canal filling material had leaked into the apical lower tissue due to carelessness of the medical staff during the treatment process, resulting in a medical accident.

The insurance company took into account the fact that the shape of the patient’s root was out of the normal range, and that it was easy to leak drugs in the case of apicalitis and widened apical foramen, in calculating the liability ratio.

Beware of Leakages during Root Canal Treatment

The insurer’s responsibility for compensation was recognised based on the insurance terms and conditions that compensate for legal liability for damages that will be borne by the patient due to the negligence of medical staff.

An official from the insurance company added that the compensation was set by referring to similar legal advice, and the final compensation for damages was calculated after checking the confirmation of payment of medical expenses.

The case highlights the importance of taking care during root canal treatment and injecting an appropriate amount of medicine to prevent temporary root canal filling material from leaking into the subapical tissue.