Dentist’s Lawsuit Claims NobelDirect Dental Implants are Defective

A California dentist is suing the maker of the <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/defective_medical_devices">NobelDirect dental implant, claiming the device is faulty. The lawsuit, which was filed late last month in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, seeks class action status on behalf of thousands of other U.S. dentists.

The NobelDirect dental implant is manufactured by the Swiss firm Nobel Biocare. According to a Reuters report, the Swedish Medical Products Agency investigated complaints about bone loss associated with NobelDirect dental implants in 2005 and 2006. While sales were allowed to continue, Nobel Biocare was directed to revise instructions and marketing material.

The NobelDirect dental implant lawsuit claims the device caused complications, including bone resorption and gingival retraction, that are the fault of a problematic design and not the experience or skill of the individual dentists. It further alleges Nobel Biocare had knowledge of the defect, but marketed the implant as safe and effective.

Jason Yamada, who filed the suit, says he implanted “dozens” of NobelDirect implants between 2004 and 2005 and had received complaints of the failure of the devices from a dozen patients. He repairs problems free of charge, he said.

Yamada’s lawsuit is seeking compensation for dentists who have had to perform surgery on their patients, or pay for restorative surgery, after complications from the implants