Ow, I need a new dentist

MandM · #1 12/14/2007, 10:36 PM

Just had to have this tooth extracted yesterday. Seems the dentist that thought he was a wiz at root canals broke TWO instruments off inside my roots. One of them he managed to ram into my sinus.
I went to an endodontist for a second opinion on why I was still having pain after 5 months of the root canal. I thought he was going to have a stroke when he explained this x-ray to me. He called my ex-dentist and had a chat.

Needless to say, he's footing the bill for yesterdays surgery, sinus repair, bone graft and future implant to replace the tooth.

Toddrtrex · #2 12/14/2007, 10:38 PM

OUCH.

Sorry to hear that.

And I thought my root canal was bad when it turned out that I had a 5th nerve instead of the normal 4. Found that out the hard way, when he hit it. Managed to break 4 of his tools, but none remained in me.

Hope you have a speedy recovery. Good luck.

BigSkyBart · #3 12/14/2007, 10:40 PM

paging bat scat, paging mr bat scat....

barrister bat guano please pick up the white courtsey phone

yikes, glad you're getting that fixed

TheBimbo · #4 12/14/2007, 10:41 PM

wow- I think I am feeling your pain from that

I'd have to go and have a chat with him myself while wearing a pair of steel toe boots

Christy

MandM · #5 12/14/2007, 10:45 PM

Yes, the endodontist refered me out to an oral surgeon, he didn't want to tackle it himself!
The surgeon is an MD, DMD(?), FACS. I feel pretty beat up today but better now that the metal file is no longer in my head hole. Paging Dr. Otolith...

MandM · #6 12/15/2007, 11:44 AM

OW!
I'm whining. I look like the elephant man and I'm trying to sip warm coffee on one side of my mouth.

Sk8r · #7 12/15/2007, 11:47 AM

Ow.

shouldabenacowboy · #8 12/15/2007, 11:53 AM

ouchy.....

hope ya feel better soon.....

SBC

mrferrit · #9 12/15/2007, 03:24 PM

this is the reason dentist's carry insurance

$$$$$$$$$

is in your future

glad to see everything is feeling better though

The Grim Reefer · #10 12/15/2007, 04:53 PM

This guy broke off a tool and left it in there??? My wife works in the legal department for an insurance co. that insures doctors and hospitals, I told her about this and she just groaned

If that dentist left the part in there he doesn't just need to be sued, he needs to be reported to the ADA. That is pretty outragous.

otolith · #11 12/15/2007, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MandM
Yes, the endodontist refered me out to an oral surgeon, he didn't want to tackle it himself!
The surgeon is an MD, DMD(?), FACS. I feel pretty beat up today but better now that the metal file is no longer in my head hole. Paging Dr. Otolith...

You rang?

Ouch, your Xray looks like it hurt. Hope you're feeling better.

Sounds like you were in pretty good hands: FACS=Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (not a lot of surgeons get that--I'm not one...yet

). Keep up with the fluids and try to keep the area around your operative site clean of food and debris. Bet in a couple days you'll be feeling much better.

catdoc · #12 12/16/2007, 12:28 PM

owee, oweee, oweeee....that hurts just to look at it!!

So, what'd the ex-dentist have to say about it?

GSMguy · #13 12/16/2007, 01:28 PM

wow your dentist screwed up big time I have had more root canals than anybody should ever have and one time they left cotton under my cap, and of course it failed a year later...

bluerug · #14 12/16/2007, 01:52 PM

Man that looks like it hurts.

MandM · #15 12/16/2007, 06:46 PM

Thanks doc, the surgeon was highly recommended and I really liked him. I didn't expect this much post op pain but I guess he did a lot of work with the repair and bone graft. Maybe I'll drop a few pounds.

The ex-dentist called me after getting a call from the endodontist. He did apologize (ya think?) and said he would refund my charges for the root canal and the implant to replace the tooth.

So...I'm on the horns of an enema...

I know the guy didn't delibrately do this but at best he was careless to break off two files and leave them in my head, one of them rammed into my sinus. I'm not one to make a profit from someone's mistake. But OWWW. The endodontist was really ticked that this dentist was planning to go in with a scalpel and fix this himself before I chose to get a second opinion. He felt the guy was trying to cover up a mess he knew he made. I hate to think he would do this again.

So do I just let him pay for the repair job or do I go find my local ambulance chaser?

MandM · #16 12/16/2007, 06:48 PM

Crown Royal counts as fluids, right?

BigSkyBart · #17 12/16/2007, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BigSkyBart

barrister bat guano please pick up the white courtesy phone, your services are requested

^^^^^^^

Quote:

Originally posted by MandM

So do I just let him pay for the repair job or do I go find my local ambulance chaser?

dwd5813 · #18 12/16/2007, 07:08 PM

accidents do happen, but if your dentist looked at a broken instrument in his hand and decided that finding the rest of it was not a priority then he needs to be psychologically evaluated. i would be in touch with a lawyer, personally. hope you feel better soon.

TheBimbo · #19 12/16/2007, 10:32 PM

I honestly feel that he made the biggest mistake ever and if he can cover his arse then all by means that's what he was gonna try to do. I'm so glad that you went somewhere else who knows what he could have done to you by trying to fix his mistake

... Not an ambulance chaser either but this isn't just a little thing this is in my eyes something pretty major...

Christy...

Johnsteph10 · #20 12/16/2007, 10:50 PM

When you are doing surgery/invasive procedures, you do an instrument count.

Tools. Check.
Sponges. Check.
Broken thingies. 1 out of 2 pieces found...errr..check.

Money Back. Check.

The Grim Reefer · #21 12/16/2007, 11:36 PM

My mom had been having pain for about 18 months following a surgery. They even did a CAT scan or whatever to see what was up. Finally they sent her to a specialist who spotted they had left a sponge inside when they did the original surgery. They pulled the scan they had done on her after she started complaining about the pain and it could be seen but wasn't obvious. She didn't feel up to a trial so she settled cheap.

MarkS · #22 12/17/2007, 12:10 AM

He is going to reimburse you, so I personally wouldn't sue. However, I would report him to the ADA and contact the media with all the evidence you have. He KNEW that this happened and did absolutely nothing about it. Even if the repair was beyond his ability, a reputable professional would have told you and recommended someone to do the repair at their expense.

If you let this blow over, he will do something like this again. More over, he probably has done something like this in the past and has patients that are in pain and do not know why.

otolith · #23 12/17/2007, 09:16 AM

SUE, SUE, SUE!!!!

Being on the side of having to "cut to cure," I realize that mistakes are made. I think he did a stupid (ok asinine) thing in not telling you that the instrument broke off in your tooth and your sinus, and that he'd take care of it/refer you to someone who could. I think as long as he covers the costs involved with whatever it takes to fix it, and as long as you recover ok, I would leave it at that. The way to hit him hardest is to ask for an explanation, and to file a complaint with your state's dental board. He'll have a lot of explaining to do, and I can tell you that no physician/dentist/etc. would want to have to do that.

Hope you're feeling better.

fussoverthis · #24 12/17/2007, 11:40 AM

Oh, I feel sympathy pain just looking at your x-ray. It seems like he is trying to make amends by paying for the repair. Mistakes happen and he SHOULD have been honest with you to begin with. I would probably not sue unless you feel you're not being compensated enough. Definitely report him.

As if a root canal isn't enough to deal with! OW! I hope you got some good pain meds.

dkh0331 · #25 12/17/2007, 12:30 PM