I need some advice. I am new to my area and had some sensitivity to tooth #19 to cold food and drink. Because I didn’t have a dentist yet, I went to one who advertised as an emergency dentist. I told him about the tooth that was bothering me. He did an exam and said that I have impacted wisdom teeth with half of them partially erupted. He suggested that the problem could be solved if I have fillings placed on the partially erupted teeth. If not, he’d want to extract them. I was puzzled because it wasn’t my wisdom teeth that were hurting, but he blew that off. I had the fillings, but that didn’t help and a couple of days later my mouth felt worse. He gave me some antibiotics. Those worked until they ran out. I went back to the dentist and he suggested that I have the teeth extracted. I pointed out that the pain wasn’t near my wisdom teeth and he replied that “I asked for his expertise and he gave it.” So, I had the wisdom teeth extracted. That helped until the antibiotics ran out… again. So, he gave me more antibiotics. When I was in pain again, I went back to the ER. They said that I had an abscessed infected tooth and guess which one it was? Yep, #19. I told my dentist, he recommended an endodontist, but that dentist couldn’t see me for almost a month. So, I found my own and paid out of pocket. He agreed it was infected and said he wished I’d been diagnosed sooner because now it is not saveable and it has to be removed and replace. I’m so mad and want my money back for the work he did now that I’m going to have to pay for all this new work. Is that a possibility?
Robin
Dear Robin,
Not only is that a possibility, but I think you are not asking for enough. Instead, I would ask him to pay for the unnecessary visits to the oral surgeon that removed your wisdom teeth, your ER visit, as well as the extraction and replacement of tooth #19. My suggestion is that you replace it with a dental implant.
Based on what you described, your dentist is definitely guilty of gross negligence and I believe you have a malpractice suit on your hands if he does not cooperate.
Pain to the tooth with cold is a sign the tooth needs a root canal treatment. To give you an antibiotic after the treatment would mean that he suspected there was in infection there, or else he doesn’t know what antibiotics do. By your third appointment, there should have been no way that the inflammation would not have been noticeable on an x-ray. Then he just kept giving you antibiotics which he should have known would not solve the problem. Finally, he sends you to an endodontist that could not see you for a month while you have a festering infection which would be considered a dental emergency! No.
I’m sorry this happened to you.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.