[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Dentist pulled wrong tooth.. (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 7/1/2009 6:41:18 PM EDT
Here's what happened. A friend of mine has been getting dental treatment from the same dental office for the last two years. In the beginning of June she was complaining of tooth pain, and was told that she had a bad tooth that either needed a root canal/crown, or the less expensive route of pulling it. She opted to have the tooth pulled. A week or two later she arrived at her appointment, and the dentist pulled the tooth. After she got home, the pain was still present, but thought it was due to the extracted tooth. It was partly, but when she looked, the dentist had pulled the incorrect tooth, leaving the bad one behind. She called the dentist, and spoke to the individual who extracted her good tooth and was told that sooner or later that tooth would have gone bad. The office didn't give her a refund. She called them the other day, and requested her dental records to start all over with a new dentist; and to have her stiches removed from the extration, and she was told that the dentist who had extracted her tooth was let go and that she was welcomed to come back. 
At this point she doesn't know what to do. What say you? |
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Here's what happened. A friend of mine has been getting dental treatment from the same dental office for the last two years. In the beginning of June she was complaining of tooth pain, and was told that she had a bad tooth that either needed a root canal/crown, or the less expensive route of pulling it. She opted to have the tooth pulled. A week or two later she arrived at her appointment, and the dentist pulled the tooth. After she got home, the pain was still present, but thought it was due to the extracted tooth. It was partly, but when she looked, the dentist had pulled the incorrect tooth, leaving the bad one behind. She called the dentist, and spoke to the individual who extracted her good tooth and was told that sooner or later that tooth would have gone bad. The office didn't give her a refund. She called them the other day, and requested her dental records to start all over with a new dentist; and to have her stiches removed from the extration, and she was told that the dentist who had extracted her tooth was let go and that she was welcomed to come back.
At this point she doesn't know what to do. What say you? Again do not lawyer up unless the problem is taken care of.... The lawyers will take more of your money... If the Dentist/office took out the wrong tooth and if there is paper work to prove it... Find out if the let go Dentist was an independent contractor or an employee... Options are... Fix the bad tooth for free and replace the missing tooth with an implant for free... After this mess go to any dentist that you are comfortable with and make the initial Dentist pay for the work |
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It's probably her fault for not brushing. Dentists love to blame everything on not brushing.  and floss they always bitch to me about flossing I am good about brushing but not so much about flossing. the last time I went to the dentist the hygienist asked me, "when is the last time you flossed?" I said to her, "The last time I flossed.........you did it!" she didn't laugh as much as I had hoped. 
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| I suggested a lawyer as well, but at this point I'm not exactly sure what she'll be doing. The dentist did admit that the wrong tooth was pulled, and there records will substantiate the fact. The office didn't offer to refund the amount paid for the extraction, other than saying that the dentist who performed the extraction was let go, and if she wanted, she could continue her future dental treatment there. |
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lawyer time What in the hell good will that do? How often have you ever heard of a doctor being held responsible for their mistakes? Last summer my dentist replaced the wrong filling, and that filling still hurts. I can't eat chew, cold, or hot food on the right side of my mouth. He billed me for his screw-up plus the actual fix. Insurance of course wouldn't pay for the screw-up so he billed me for the entire non-insurance amount which was about three times what he billed for the correct one. I didn't pay for the screw-up so he sent it to collections, and I think it's on my credit report. Other than having credit cards, I've never borrowed money so that doesn't bother me. What does bother me is lack of integrity on the part of the dentist.z |
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lawyer time What in the hell good will that do? How often have you ever heard of a doctor being held responsible for their mistakes? Last summer my dentist replaced the wrong filling, and that filling still hurts. I can't eat chew, cold, or hot food on the right side of my mouth. He billed me for his screw-up plus the actual fix. Insurance of course wouldn't pay for the screw-up so he billed me for the entire non-insurance amount which was about three times what he billed for the correct one. I didn't pay for the screw-up so he sent it to collections, and I think it's on my credit report. Other than having credit cards, I've never borrowed money so that doesn't bother me. What does bother me is lack of integrity on the part of the dentist.z Give me a break...did you ever give him/her a chance to make it right? ETA...did he or she fix the filling for a second time? |
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I suggested a lawyer as well, but at this point I'm not exactly sure what she'll be doing. The dentist did admit that the wrong tooth was pulled, and there records will substantiate the fact. The office didn't offer to refund the amount paid for the extraction, other than saying that the dentist who performed the extraction was let go, and if she wanted, she could continue her future dental treatment there. If the office did not offer any resolution after you contacted them...time to lawyer up... Again...at my office....I would of not charged you to take the (wrong) tooth out...I would of paid for the implant...I would of fixed the wrong tooth...for no charge...if you missed work...I would of paid for it....but I would of also got a release... |
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I suggested a lawyer as well, but at this point I'm not exactly sure what she'll be doing. The dentist did admit that the wrong tooth was pulled, and there records will substantiate the fact. The office didn't offer to refund the amount paid for the extraction, other than saying that the dentist who performed the extraction was let go, and if she wanted, she could continue her future dental treatment there. If the office did not offer any resolution after you contacted them...time to lawyer up... Again...at my office....I would of not charged you to take the (wrong) tooth out...I would of paid for the implant...I would of fixed the wrong tooth...for no charge...if you missed work...I would of paid for it....but I would of also got a release... this (basically what I said in the other thread) The sad truth is there are dentists out there who are crooks and/or incompetent, and if everything you've said is accurate, it sounds like your friend found one of them. If I were in the dentist's position, I'd make everything right and hope I didn't get sued. |
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lawyer time What in the hell good will that do? How often have you ever heard of a doctor being held responsible for their mistakes? Last summer my dentist replaced the wrong filling, and that filling still hurts. I can't eat chew, cold, or hot food on the right side of my mouth. He billed me for his screw-up plus the actual fix. Insurance of course wouldn't pay for the screw-up so he billed me for the entire non-insurance amount which was about three times what he billed for the correct one. I didn't pay for the screw-up so he sent it to collections, and I think it's on my credit report. Other than having credit cards, I've never borrowed money so that doesn't bother me. What does bother me is lack of integrity on the part of the dentist.z Give me a break...did you ever give him/her a chance to make it right? ETA...did he or she fix the filling for a second time? He fixed the second one, and it's fine. I didn't know I was going to be charged so much of the mistake, or I would not have let him do the second one. I offered to forget the mistake if he would redo the first one for free. He refused. It's hurt since last summer so I need to eventually do something about it.z |
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lawyer time No fucking shit, THIS I'd want a FULL refund or I'd sue. Period. I'd give them once chance to settle without all the messy attorneys. If they didnt have a check in the mail when I hung up the phone I'd sue their ass for a WHOLE lot more. Full refund? Are you nuts? They would be putting a post and a false tooth in the one they screw up and then would fix the one that was the problem to start with for FREE, or I'd Lawyer up. I just went through the extracted tooth ordeal Not fun at all and costs an arm and a leg! |
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I suggested a lawyer as well, but at this point I'm not exactly sure what she'll be doing. The dentist did admit that the wrong tooth was pulled, and there records will substantiate the fact. The office didn't offer to refund the amount paid for the extraction, other than saying that the dentist who performed the extraction was let go, and if she wanted, she could continue her future dental treatment there. If the office did not offer any resolution after you contacted them...time to lawyer up... Again...at my office....I would of not charged you to take the (wrong) tooth out...I would of paid for the implant...I would of fixed the wrong tooth...for no charge...if you missed work...I would of paid for it....but I would of also got a release... this (basically what I said in the other thread) The sad truth is there are dentists out there who are crooks and/or incompetent, and if everything you've said is accurate, it sounds like your friend found one of them. If I were in the dentist's position, I'd make everything right and hope I didn't get sued. Bingo..there are dickheads out there...and there are people out there, no matter what you do, they will want to sue...then ,there is a rarity that will let you correct your mistake...and then there is the bad Dentist that will not help... |
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lawyer time What in the hell good will that do? How often have you ever heard of a doctor being held responsible for their mistakes? Last summer my dentist replaced the wrong filling, and that filling still hurts. I can't eat chew, cold, or hot food on the right side of my mouth. He billed me for his screw-up plus the actual fix. Insurance of course wouldn't pay for the screw-up so he billed me for the entire non-insurance amount which was about three times what he billed for the correct one. I didn't pay for the screw-up so he sent it to collections, and I think it's on my credit report. Other than having credit cards, I've never borrowed money so that doesn't bother me. What does bother me is lack of integrity on the part of the dentist.z Give me a break...did you ever give him/her a chance to make it right? ETA...did he or she fix the filling for a second time? He fixed the second one, and it's fine. I didn't know I was going to be charged so much of the mistake, or I would not have let him do the second one. I offered to forget the mistake if he would redo the first one for free. He refused. It's hurt since last summer so I need to eventually do something about it.z There's got to be more to this story. Replacing a filling unnecessarily shouldn't cause sensitivity by itself. Does it feel like the filling is too high? Did he say the filling was especially close to the pulp (nerve/blood vessels)? |
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lawyer time What in the hell good will that do? How often have you ever heard of a doctor being held responsible for their mistakes? Last summer my dentist replaced the wrong filling, and that filling still hurts. I can't eat chew, cold, or hot food on the right side of my mouth. He billed me for his screw-up plus the actual fix. Insurance of course wouldn't pay for the screw-up so he billed me for the entire non-insurance amount which was about three times what he billed for the correct one. I didn't pay for the screw-up so he sent it to collections, and I think it's on my credit report. Other than having credit cards, I've never borrowed money so that doesn't bother me. What does bother me is lack of integrity on the part of the dentist.z Give me a break...did you ever give him/her a chance to make it right? ETA...did he or she fix the filling for a second time? He fixed the second one, and it's fine. I didn't know I was going to be charged so much of the mistake, or I would not have let him do the second one. I offered to forget the mistake if he would redo the first one for free. He refused. It's hurt since last summer so I need to eventually do something about it.z You are right...and the Dentist is wrong...you should of never been charged for the redo... |
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There's got to be more to this story. Replacing a filling unnecessarily shouldn't cause sensitivity by itself. Does it feel like the filling is too high? Did he say the filling was especially close to the pulp (nerve/blood vessels)? I think he simply didn't put enough filling in it. It's my 1st molar on the bottom, and the filling is in the top middle of the tooth. Here's a picture I found that looks very close to what it looked like before the replacement filling: 
The concave part of the top is now much deeper than it was before. When I breath heavy I can feel the air movement. When the air is cold or when I'm breathing heavy, it hurts. Coffee hurts a little, and ice cream hurts a lot. The frustrating thing is that I'm not sure the filling on the correct tooth needed to be replaced anyway. He said because it was an amalgam it had to be replaced. Is it typical now for a dentist to always replace mercury fillings if the patient can afford it?z |
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There's got to be more to this story. Replacing a filling unnecessarily shouldn't cause sensitivity by itself. Does it feel like the filling is too high? Did he say the filling was especially close to the pulp (nerve/blood vessels)? I think he simply didn't put enough filling in it. It's my 1st molar on the bottom, and the filling is in the top middle of the tooth. Here's a picture I found that looks very close to what it looked like before the replacement filling: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Amalgam.jpg The concave part of the top is now much deeper than it was before. When I breath heavy I can feel the air movement. When the air is cold or when I'm breathing heavy, it hurts. Coffee hurts a little, and ice cream hurts a lot. The frustrating thing is that I'm not sure the filling on the correct tooth needed to be replaced anyway. He said because it was an amalgam it had to be replaced. Is it typical now for a dentist to always replace mercury fillings if the patient can afford it?z It is actually illegal for us to replace the alloy fillings just because of the Mercury...you actually get more exposure to the Mercury when we remove the old silver fillings... |
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There's got to be more to this story. Replacing a filling unnecessarily shouldn't cause sensitivity by itself. Does it feel like the filling is too high? Did he say the filling was especially close to the pulp (nerve/blood vessels)? I think he simply didn't put enough filling in it. It's my 1st molar on the bottom, and the filling is in the top middle of the tooth. Here's a picture I found that looks very close to what it looked like before the replacement filling: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Amalgam.jpg The concave part of the top is now much deeper than it was before. When I breath heavy I can feel the air movement. When the air is cold or when I'm breathing heavy, it hurts. Coffee hurts a little, and ice cream hurts a lot. The frustrating thing is that I'm not sure the filling on the correct tooth needed to be replaced anyway. He said because it was an amalgam it had to be replaced. Is it typical now for a dentist to always replace mercury fillings if the patient can afford it?z With out getting weird...when we glue the fillings into the teeth...sometimes they become very sensitive...it all depends on the glue...your Dentist may be using a different brand....I switched adhesive about 7 years ago...and I have never had any sensitivity... |
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This is a group that lets asshat doped up dentists practice there and you want her to go back?
No way! Consider herself lucky. Find a good malpractice attorney and then a dental group and oral surgeon and restorative dentist to work with. Get an estimate for the correct extraction and the subsequent two implants. (approx. $10K). Take the estimate to the attorney. |
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This is a group that lets asshat doped up dentists practice there and you want her to go back? No way! Consider herself lucky. Find a good malpractice attorney and then a dental group and oral surgeon and restorative dentist to work with. Get an estimate for the correct extraction and the subsequent two implants. (approx. $10K). Take the estimate to the attorney. Any facts with the doped up Dentists in this group ? |
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There's got to be more to this story. Replacing a filling unnecessarily shouldn't cause sensitivity by itself. Does it feel like the filling is too high? Did he say the filling was especially close to the pulp (nerve/blood vessels)? I think he simply didn't put enough filling in it. It's my 1st molar on the bottom, and the filling is in the top middle of the tooth. Here's a picture I found that looks very close to what it looked like before the replacement filling: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Amalgam.jpg The concave part of the top is now much deeper than it was before. When I breath heavy I can feel the air movement. When the air is cold or when I'm breathing heavy, it hurts. Coffee hurts a little, and ice cream hurts a lot. The frustrating thing is that I'm not sure the filling on the correct tooth needed to be replaced anyway. He said because it was an amalgam it had to be replaced. Is it typical now for a dentist to always replace mercury fillings if the patient can afford it?z It is actually illegal for us to replace the alloy fillings just because of the Mercury...you actually get more exposure to the Mercury when we remove the old silver fillings... yup. We're taught that if a patient comes in wanting all their amalgams removed, you MUST explain that the evidence says amalgams don't cause harm, there's no benefit to replacing them without a specific reason, etc. Telling a patient that they should get their amalgams replaced because they're amalgam is unethical and is a good way to put your license at risk. |
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This is a group that lets asshat doped up dentists practice there and you want her to go back? No way! Consider herself lucky. Find a good malpractice attorney and then a dental group and oral surgeon and restorative dentist to work with. Get an estimate for the correct extraction and the subsequent two implants. (approx. $10K). Take the estimate to the attorney. Any facts with the doped up Dentists in this group ? Is there a Sched II drug locker nearby? And who has the keys? Proof enough for me! Self-medication abounds in the medical/dental industry. Here, have another percoset. |
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This is a group that lets asshat doped up dentists practice there and you want her to go back? No way! Consider herself lucky. Find a good malpractice attorney and then a dental group and oral surgeon and restorative dentist to work with. Get an estimate for the correct extraction and the subsequent two implants. (approx. $10K). Take the estimate to the attorney. Any facts with the doped up Dentists in this group ? Is there a Sched II drug locker nearby? And who has the keys? Proof enough for me! Self-medication abounds in the medical/dental industry. Here, have another percoset. wow, you win most ignorant post of the thread 
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This is a group that lets asshat doped up dentists practice there and you want her to go back? No way! Consider herself lucky. Find a good malpractice attorney and then a dental group and oral surgeon and restorative dentist to work with. Get an estimate for the correct extraction and the subsequent two implants. (approx. $10K). Take the estimate to the attorney. Any facts with the doped up Dentists in this group ? Is there a Sched II drug locker nearby? And who has the keys? Proof enough for me! Self-medication abounds in the medical/dental industry. Here, have another percoset. wow, you win most ignorant post of the thread wow, are we hitting close to home here Doc? Maybe you'd better chase that with a couple of hydroco/apap or Lortabs. 
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I suggested a lawyer as well, but at this point I'm not exactly sure what she'll be doing. The dentist did admit that the wrong tooth was pulled, and there records will substantiate the fact. The office didn't offer to refund the amount paid for the extraction, other than saying that the dentist who performed the extraction was let go, and if she wanted, she could continue her future dental treatment there. That's mighty nice of them. allowing her to come back.. Independent Contractor or employee, they are responsible for fixing the damage they caused. Both pulled, 2 implants, you get to come out of the situation "whole" . that means they fix it, They don't after your lawyer getes done with them the state board overseeing professional responsibility will likely be talking to them about fucking up and then not fixing it right and in a timely fashion. |
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Let them make it right first. Jeeezus. There some sue happy mothers in this thread. SHE DID, READ THE POST. She called the dentist, and spoke to the individual who extracted her good tooth and was told that sooner or later that tooth would have gone bad. The office didn't give her a refund.
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