Dentists turning to the law to help negligence claims

Two dentists who traded in their drills to become solicitors have set up what they claim is the first specialist claimant dental negligence practice.

The new firm - based in Altrincham, Cheshire and called the Dental Law Partnership - was opened this month by David Corless-Smith and Greg Waldron, who say they already have 200 clients nationwide.

Mr Corless-Smith was head of the dental negligence unit at Sheffield-based Edwards Abrams Doherty.

Mr Waldron worked for Altrincham-based Alexander Harris, and Manchester firm Hempsons before joining insurer St Paul as an in-house lawyer in 1996.

The pair said recent restrictions in legal aid funding mean many patients receiving sub-standard dental treatment cannot afford to pursue claims.

They argue that their expertise will enable them to identify claims with a good prospect of winning, and fund them on a conditional fee basis.

Jeremy Fleming