Lawsuits have been filed by people who suffered tooth damage or lost their teeth due to an Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance (AGGA) dental device.
Need a Texas AGGA Dental Device Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If your teeth were damaged by an Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance (AGGA), you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
UPDATE: Feds Launch Criminal Investigation Into AGGA Dental Device
In April 2023, a criminal investigation involving the AGGA dental device was revealed by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
According to the court motion that was filed on April 5, attorneys said they were “conducting a criminal investigation … for the purpose of potentially bringing criminal charges against Defendants.”
Those defendants include Steve Galella DDS, OrthoMatrix Corp Inc., John’s Dental Laboratory Inc., and LVI Global LLC, who are already facing at least 20 lawsuits from angry patients.
FDA Issues Safety Warning for AGGA Device in Adults
In March 2023, the FDA issued a Safety Communication to warn about reports of serious tooth damage when AGGA devices and similar products were used on adults.
According to the warning:
an adult’s upper jaw bones are fused, and when a fixed palatal expansion device applies force, the palate is resistant to expansion. If forces are applied incorrectly to the teeth, serious complications can occur including chronic pain, tooth dislocation, flared teeth, uneven bite, difficulty eating, damaged gums, exposed roots, bone erosion, and tooth loss.
The devices of concern include:
- Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance (AGGA) and Fixed Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance (FAGGA),
- Anterior Remodeling Appliance (ARA) and Fixed Anterior Remodeling Appliance (FARA),
- Osseo-Restoration Appliance (ORA) and Fixed Osseo-Restoration Appliance (FORA), and
- Any other similar device types.
What is an AGGA Dental Device?
The Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance (AGGA) is a dental device that consists of a wire that is inserted behind the patient’s front teeth. It was advertised to correct dental, airway, and facial abnormalities without the need for jaw surgery.
What is the Problem?
In recent years, at least 20 lawsuits have been filed by people whose teeth were damaged or destroyed by an AGGA device. These people claim they were misled about the risks and effectiveness of the device.
What Do Lawsuits Allege?
Lawsuits allege that the AGGA dental device was originally designed for children, whose bones are still growing. They claim it is extremely dangerous for adults, whose jaw bones have stopped growing, because it pushes the teeth out of their sockets and causes tooth loss.
What Is The Risk?
- Chronic pain
- Tooth discoloration
- Flared teeth
- Uneven bite
- Difficulty eating or speaking
- Gum damage
- Exposed roots
- Bone erosion
- Tooth loss
- Pushes teeth out of the bone
- Broken or ruined teeth
- Loose teeth
- Nerve damage
- Facial disfigurement
- Patient may need jaw surgery
Lawsuits Claim AGGA Device May Not Work In Adults
In adults, instead of gradually remodeling the teeth and upper jaw, lawsuits claim the AGGA device actually pushes the front teeth out of the bone sockets. This can cause severe pain, flaring of the front teeth, loosening of the teeth, nerve damage, and other side effects.
Some victims were unable to have tooth implants because they lost so much bone due to problems with their AGGA dental device. Many lawsuits also accuse dentists of failing to remove the AGGA device when it should have been obvious that it was damaging their teeth.
AGGA Dental Device Lawsuits Filed by People With Ruined Teeth
In March 2022, a lawsuit was filed by Michael Haile and Melanie Pappalardi, two people who claim they were seriously injured by an AGGA device.
Haile said he received an AGGA dental device in May 2019 due to problems with his airway and an open bite. Less than a year later, he began to suspect that the AGGA device was damaging his teeth, but his dentists did not replace it until February 2021. By that time, the AGGA device caused significant dental damage, including loose teeth, pain, flared front teeth, gum recession, root damage and bone loss.
Pappalardi received an AGGA dental device in August 2020, according to the lawsuit. She had it removed on August 2021. During the year it was in her mouth, the AGGA pushed her front teeth out of the bone, caused extreme tooth sensitivity, loosening of her teeth, nerve damage, and she will likely lose several teeth due to the device.
The defendants include Steve Galella, D.D.S., OrthoMatrix Corp Inc., Facial Beauty Institute (Orthologic), and John’s Dental Laboratory.
Their lawsuit was filed on March 3, 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana (Terre Haute Division) — Case Number 2:22-cv-00083-JMS-MJD.
Need an AGGA Dental Device Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years of experience, participation in over 600 jury trials, and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our law firm for a free case review.