I went to the dentist to take care of two teeth that have been bothering me to get fixed. I had the initial exam, and I was told I needed two root canals on the two teeth. I did not ask for a 2nd opinion, because they are in real bad shape, and that is what I thought would be the answer.
Anway, at my first appointment, they did an exam with about a ton of x-rays, and then gave me a treatment plan. The first was to take care of the tooth that was hurting me. (The dentist told me it was a root canal.) Then I would get other things.
I went in for my appt today and he worked on a different tooth. As I left, I asked to see my chart. They told me that I needed 3 root canals (one more than I was orginally told) and my bill went up almost $1000.
It will be at least a month until I can afford the copay on my insurance. AND my insurance will be maxed out during the second root canal, and it will be an extreme hard ship to pay it.
The tooth he worked on today did not hurt
2007-02-09 15:52:29 · 9 answers · asked by Froggbitz 2 in Health ➔ Dental
You are probably too young to be getting your teeth just pulled. Bad, bad, bad suggestion. I would sit down and talk to the Dentist and tell him that the tooth he did was not hurting and that you think he made a mistake. If necessary I would find another dentist to finish the work. Sorry for your problems, good luck. Keep your teeth as long as you can, you'll be glad later on.
2007-02-09 16:04:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm a dentist.
Hold your horses, sweetheart.
Never underestimate your ignorance. The reality is that you don't know that he did the wrong tooth. You think he did, and perhaps you even like to believe he did. But you simply do not know with any degree of certainty. You need to be cognizant of this fact, otherwise you're potentially going to waste a lot of effort and money pursuing it.
The likelihood that he treated the wrong tooth is exceedingly small. Most frequently, teeth need root canals because of large areas of decay. It is very likely that he would have been able to readily see the decay clinically (i.e. by looking directly at the tooth). And to be sure, he would have had a periapical x-ray of the tooth to have the root canal so that he could measure the depth of the pulp chamber and the length of the root.
Now, it's certainly possible (although unlikely) that he did not tell you that you needed a root canal on yet another tooth, but this does not amount to doing a root canal on the "wrong" tooth.
More importantly, be aware that the tooth he worked on may have been the one that he diagnosed as hurting you--a tooth that may have been different than the one you thought you were going to have treated.
It sounds to me like there was some miscommunication between the two of you. Unfortunately, we forget from time to time how many of our patients have the attention spans of chimpanzees and that everything has to be spelled out for them ad-nauseum.
Go back and talk to the doctor. If the response he gives you isn't satisfactory, then roll the dice and address the matter with the proper authorities. Be mindful of the fact that you'll likely lose.
2007-02-10 02:08:26 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If I was you I think I'd just get all 3 pulled. Root canals cost way too much and sometimes they don't work and you have pain again. If they pulled them you'd never have a problem with those teeth again. Sometimes I don't think dentists are on the same planet with the rest of us who have to work a lot of hours to make a little bit of money, and barely get by. They all seem to think we should spend whatever it takes to "save" our teeth, and they don't seem to grasp the idea that there are people that just don't have the money and no reasonable way to get it. When I was growing up, whenever I had a tooth go bad my mom just had it pulled out, and I turned out just fine.
2007-02-10 09:56:50 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would have gotten a second opinion.
Something like that actually happened to me once, I had a broken tooth, went to my regular dentist and what did he do, decide to drill a tooth that didn't need it!
What you can do is look for another dentist. The one you are already seeing, don't let him do the 3 root canals if you do not need it.
Good luck.
2007-02-09 16:02:29 · answer #4 · answered by daryavaush 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Coming from a dental professional, I surely ought to believe him. He informed you the enamel numbers. You reported your self that you had A enamel that had a situation. nicely, in the experience that your treatment plan, your estimate and your consent kinds all listed more effective than one enamel, then why did not you handle the area then?? If I went to have one enamel done and the denstist had listed more effective than one, that may be the first clue that there became some miscommunication. i do not propose to come back throughout as slightly**, yet I listen sufferers each and daily desiring "loose facilities" or claiming that WE did something incorrect. you're desiring us to provide you advice with purely your fringe of the tale. we may prefer to work out your x-rays, your treatment plan, and pay interest on your dentists fringe of the tale, to make a suitable advice for you. I had a affected man or woman do an same element you're doing: declare we did the incorrect enamel and choose loose artwork. His consent type obviously informed him which enamel we were doing and both the enamel needed an same artwork anyhow. He in basic terms genuinely needed loose artwork. i wish that is not what you're doing. I heavily do not see a dentist pulling a enamel or 2 for that count which have not something incorrect with them. i visit very almost wager you that in case you had one enamel with a huge hollow in it, then you genuinely produce different enamel with complications. Decay isn't selective. It would not %. on certain enamel and in basic terms go away others on my own. imagine about it. Why may he pull out 2 completely healthy enamel?
2016-11-26 20:41:20 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, go to a different dentist. Ask other dentists who THEY would go to if they had to be worked on - they KNOW who the good ones are. Then discuss whether or not you have a case for malpractice against the dentist that worked on you - it sounds like you might have a case that you could win. Hope you feel better soon.
2007-02-09 16:20:19 · answer #6 · answered by Paul Hxyz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if i were you, and if the teeth are on the sides of your mouth and aren't noticable, just get them pulled, its really up to you, i feel that way just for the fact root canals usually don't last and the pain will be back. its only my opinion!
2007-02-09 15:58:07 · answer #7 · answered by pharmtechkal 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well for one, sue and get your money back and then go to a new dentists
2007-02-09 16:00:43 · answer #8 · answered by Just Ryan! 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
get your records from him
don't pay
sue.
get another oral surgeon.
2007-02-09 16:05:29 · answer #9 · answered by Elaine T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋