Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Can I Charge George Lucas for My Dental Appointment?

by

I was having fun with my son playing Jedi versus Sith. Not only did my son, the Sith, win but he seemed to use the force. the circle that is at the top of the hilt flew off and hit me in the mouth. I was bleeding, which isn’t unexpected from a mouth injury, but this morning I noticed the tooth feels loose. I keep wiggling it to be certain and I’m pretty certain. Because this injury is due to a defect in the lightsaber, can I charge the company? Or possibly George Lucas? I don’t have insurance or a dentist, but I’m assuming I have to see one.

Melissa

Dear Melissa,

Woman covering her mouth with her hand

A loose adult tooth requires an emergency dentist

First, let me say you sound like a fun mom! I know lots of little boys who would enjoy a good Jedi battle with a parent. As far as charging the company or George Lucas, you could write to them and let them know what happened and ask them to cover your dental expenses which resulted from the accident. However, unless you do a Jedi mind trick, the dentist won’t bill them for the services without written consent.

Next, I’m going to say please stop wiggling the tooth immediately. There are ligaments which aide in holding your tooth in place. If you keep stretching them, they may snap. Your tooth will need to be stabilized. This would be considered a dental emergency.

As you don’t have a dentist, my suggestion is to do an internet search using the term “emergency dentist“. These are general dentists who are willing to see non-established patients in the case of emergencies such as yours. They’ll stabilize your tooth, but also do x-rays to make sure there’s no damage to the pulp of the tooth. If there is, a root canal treatment will be necessary.

Who Pays for Emergency Dental Appointments?

Unless they’re a minor, with rare exceptions, the only person a dentist can charge is the person receiving the service. One exception would be if someone signed a statement saying they’ll cover the bill.

If someone is truly responsible for your accident but refusing to take care of it, your only real option is to take them to small claims court.

I don’t think you’ll get very far with George Lucas, Ltd. Though, you’re obviously welcome to write to him and try.

There are affordable dentists out there. They’re very likely willing to allow you to make payments in order to get the treatment you need then pay it out slowly.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

A Tale of Two Emergency Dentists

by

I’m a bit confused. My husband and I both developed toothaches at about the same time. We were in the process of moving and didn’t have time to deal with it. Once we got to our new place, the first thing I did was try to schedule emergency dental appointments because we were both ready to get out of pain. The first practice I called said they could see me but didn’t realize I wanted my husband seen too. It was a Friday morning, which is their half day. they said they could see one of us today and the other Monday. I scheduled my appointment and then called another practice who agreed to see my husband that day. I figured the upside was we’d get to check out two different dental offices to see what we thought before picking our new practice. When I went, they gave me a root canal treatment, but my husband only had to have a filling. Why the two different treatments for two toothaches? Was mine just overly aggressive or did my husband not get the care he needed?

Karen

Dear Karen,

All toothaches are different. They can be caused by a decay, infection, cracked teeth, etc. Plus, while all toothaches are different so is each person’s ability to deal with pain. Maybe you have a higher pain tolerance than your husband so your toothache had been there longer and turned into an infection, while his was just decaying and needed filling.

I can’t answer your question about overtreatment or negligence without examining you and seeing the x-rays. I’d just be taking a stab in the dark. However, the one thing that concerns me is neither of you seems to have been told why your dentists did the treatment they did.

Dental emergency or not, a dentist is supposed to explain the diagnosis along with your options and their recommendation. It’s up to the patient to say yes or no. So, you shouldn’t have been given a root canal treatment without knowing why.

Finding Your Permanent Dentist

When you start looking for your permanent dentist, be sure to check their reviews so you get some idea of what patient’s who’ve been there have experienced. Also, because the emergency dentist did x-rays (or at least should have), you can have your recent x-rays transferred so you don’t have to have those done again right away.

Though you had to have the root canal, I’m glad you got to the dentist before you ended up losing the tooth. The last thing you’d want to pay for right after a move is a tooth replacement.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Noah.

Third Crown in Six Years from “Affordable Dentist”

by

I’m at my wit’s end. I needed a dental crown because I broke a tooth. I didn’t have a lot of money at the time so I called around to call the most affordable dentist. I think it was a horrible decision. In the last six years, he’s replaced my “affordable crown” twice and it just broke a third time. At this rate, I could have gone to the most expensive dentist in the city and gotten a crown practically made of gold. Do I have a case for a refund?

Lana

porcelain crown being placed on prepared tooth

Yikes! I hate to hear you’ve been going through this. As you’ve unfortunately experienced, cheap is not always affordable. You’re talking about three crowns in just six years. Generally, a crown should last five years at a minimum. So, three crowns should be 15+ years. A well-done crown will last longer than five years, but I’m talking the minimum expectation.

Because of that, I think you’re well within your right to ask for a refund and then have this third crown re-done by a different dentist.

Ways to Have Affordable Dentistry with Quality

First, don’t just look for the dentist with the cheapest price. Some dentists have the cheapest price simply because they’re not that great and need low prices to draw patients in. Other times, they use low-quality materials in order to make up the profits they lose through their lower prices. Both of these “conveniences” end up hurting the patient.

Instead, look for dentists who do quality work but are willing to work with their patients financially. For instance, Dr. Noah does this three different ways.

  • Dental Payment Plans
  • Phased Treatment Plans
  • Alternate Treatment Plans

You can read Dr. Noah’s affordable dentist page to learn more.

Who Should Fix this Crown?

I know you’ll want another dentist to make your next crown, just don’t put it off too long. Even just a few days can cause your teeth to shift. I’d call around to some reputable dentists in your area and explain what’s going on. I’m sure more than one of them would be willing to work you in as an emergency dental appointment. Just be sure to check their reviews to see if they do quality work.

I’m assuming because you called around about crown prices you don’t have a regular dentist. I don’t know if that’s because of financial reasons or because of dental anxiety. Many people who’ve had a traumatic experience from a rough or insensitive dentist find it difficult to go back. You should be able to tell from their reviews whether or not people have had good experiences with them.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Noah.