I had my tooth filled about one month ago (about $260). Now the tooth hurts and he said I need a root canal and then a crown (about $2000). Should he know if I need a root canal when he first time checked on my tooth, or even when he opened up my tooth? Is it reasonable to ask for a refund? Thanks!
2006-12-27 13:25:42 · 9 answers · asked by flora 1 in Health ➔ Dental
when you got your tooth filled, he probally had to take an x-ray to see how deep the cavity was. the cavity was probally deep enough, to end up needing a root canal in the long run. i've seen this alot, i used to be a dental assistant. i've seen patients come in with x-rays that show its obvious that just a filling wont do, and that further work is needed. but, instead of doing the job the right way, he does what he shceduled you for. a root canal and crown take much longer than just a simple filling. so, yeah, it probally was the dentist fault that you have to go back, because he was probally in a hurry and wanted to do just enough to get you in and out of the office for that day. one day, i saw my dentist do something that totally boggled my mind. a guy came in with a chipped tooth, and actually had the piece of the tooth that chipped off. it was one of his back molars, and instead of using a filling material to rebuild the tooth, he just "glued" the part of the chippped tooth back on. needless to say, the guy was charged 75 bucks for the procedure, and had to come back in the next day, because it had broken off again. i'm tellin' ya, most dentists are crooks. if you ask for a refund, he will probally tell you no, because he knows that you know nothing about dentistry, but if you give him a hard time, he will probally knock off some of the fees. dont let him push you around, what he did was wrong. all dentists are like that. good luck!
2006-12-27 15:22:43 · answer #1 · answered by superyduperymommy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not a perfect science. If I think someone might end up needing an RCT, then I warn them at time of filling. Sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm wrong (luckily for them!). And sometimes I am surprised when teeth give trouble.
General signs that the tooth might need an RCT later:
1. Patient comes for appointment with pain;
2. Pain has been on/off for a few weeks;
3. Pain is getting longer and worse each time;
4. Pain is set off by hot drinks;
5. Pain come spontaneously without a stimulus;
6. Patient is using painkillers;
7. Testing with a cold stimulus either gets no reaction or gets a muted response
and all this is BEFORE looking at an Xray
8. Xray shows big cavity. But not always - the tips of nerves (pulp horns) can come surprisingly close to the surface, esp in younger people.
Do any of these apply to you?
Personally, I don't like it when people come back in pain. I oblige ASAP, but it isn't always possible on the same day and it can disrupt my appointment scheduling. Life would be easier if I could say that a tooth is DEFINITELY going to go OK or not, but there are grey areas in-between. Let's not forget that dentistry is a biological discipline and there are no definites - we're not simply changing the air filter in your carby. Would your doctor promise that you'll definitely get better after an operation, without any risks?
2006-12-27 19:46:27 · answer #2 · answered by Dr Matt W (Australia) 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1- i would say hurts about a 2-3 2- procedure will take about 30-45 minutes 3-the worst part about it is feeling the drills. my tooth was so bad that i could feel her working on my nerve so it hurt a bit for me for a split second 4-you will feel numbness for an hour or so. 5-the dentist will numb you up before they give you a shot to numb your more. you can call your dentist before and ask them if they have any anti anxeity pill they can give you or something to help for when you first walk in.. they did this for me before. 6-definitely one person can come in the room with you. depends on how big the room is and how much room your dentist has if they will allow more people. 7-i went to work right after my root canal. you will be ok.. it's just a scarry thing to think about. drink liquids after the root canal and avoid chewing so you dont bit yourself and not feel it. good luck!!
2016-03-28 21:38:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the tooth might have just needed filled when he did that a month ago it might have been worse then it actually was which turned into you needing a root canal..generally when a dentist does that theyre trying to save you money thinking they caught it in time to salvage what they can..sometimes it just doesnt work out that way...
2006-12-27 13:34:04 · answer #4 · answered by worldsbesthighfiver 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He should have been able to tell by x-ray. Sometimes the filling ends up deeper then expected and you need a root canal after the fact.
2006-12-27 13:29:47 · answer #5 · answered by JS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no he would not know for sure.
I have a very thin protection against one of my nerves and it was a 50/50 if I needed a root canel. it has been 5 years and that barrier is still there, but it seems the dentist should have told you your nerve was close to being exposed but if it looked solid he may not have noticed it was close to being exposed
Or where you had the filling (top or side) is not where the nerve is exposed so he may have never saw it
2006-12-27 13:31:13 · answer #6 · answered by G L 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wish it were the case. I had the same thing happen in October. Got the filling done on Thursday on Monday I woke up in so much pain I couldn't even touch my lips or tongue to my tooth.
Yep I think it's crap!
2006-12-27 13:28:31 · answer #7 · answered by Mommyk232 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No they can not tell the first time.. Sometime after a tooth is filled it abcesses.. so that is probably what happened. I would think that the Dentist should not charge you but they are greedy.
2006-12-27 13:28:59 · answer #8 · answered by angela_hauff 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, he should have known from the begining. You can ask that he adjust your total bill to compensate you for his oversight, but it will be up to him to accept this deal. Otherwise, get a better dentist. Remember, not everyone graduated top in their class!
2006-12-27 13:51:42 · answer #9 · answered by bungholian_monk 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋