Dentist Messed Up and Won’t Refund Me

I am very frustrated. I had a dental crown placed. There was not any problem with the tooth, it was more for cosmetic purposes. I had some soreness and then some sensitivity to hot and cold. The dentist’s office said that it was normal for that to happen for the first few weeks. Eventually, though, it ended up being so painful that I went to see a different dentist. They told me that the tooth was infected and not only did I need another dental crown, but that I would also need a root canal treatment. I was blown away and had no idea how that could happen when the tooth was fine. The second dentist took an x-ray and showed me something called open margins. I called my dentist to ask for a refund, but they said once it is in my mouth it is my problem. I now have to pay for another crown plus a root canal and can really use a refund from the procedure he messed up. Do you have any advice on how to get it? Should this dentist have done an x-ray to prevent this?

DawnRay

Dear DawnRay,

A dentist will not typically do an x-ray. However, what a dentist does do is run an explorer around the margins to make sure there is a tight fit, so that no bacteria could sneak in and cause problems as it did with your tooth. Now you need a root canal treatment. The other thing to be aware of is that the sensitivity to hot and cold is an indication that there is an issue is going on. Your dentist saying it is normal bothers me.

If there were open margins, then your dentist did not do his due diligence when it comes to the margins of your dental crown. It doesn’t sound like he’s going to be very ethical about things, though. You do have some options.

First, you could tell your dentist that you are going to speak to the dental board. Dentists do not like drawing negative attention to themselves with the dental board. Second, you could have the second dentist speak to them. Some dentists care more about the opinion of their peers rather than their patients. If none of that works, then you can get a lawyer to write a threatening letter on official letterhead. That would make him worry you are willing to file a malpractice lawsuit.

Those should get his attention. Don’t put off getting this treated. That tooth infection will spread, so it’s important you get that taken care of before it turns into a dental emergency. These can turn life threatening.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Endodontist Dr. Scott Janse.