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Medical Forum / General / Dentistry / July 2005Unhappy with my dental work. Options?
Gosh. I am so unhappy. After many years of holding back on "smiles", due to discolored or missing/damaged teeth, I finally have been undergoing a smile transformation. It has not been happening with out much financial sacfrice for me. I finally have a job with dental insurance, but my portion has still been hefty. I have had 3 series completed. Two of which I am unhappy with. A 4 crown bridge on my upper right fits perfectly, and I have no problem with it. But I also had a 3 crown bridge on my lower left. These were done about 10 months ago. They were the first ones to be done, and I did not know they could be better till I got the previously mentioned one done. These 3 on the bottom left seem to be oversized...compared to the rest of my teeth. They jut out on the inside, and my tongue (the un-managable muscle) is continually drawn to them. It is so annoying. Plus when I am chewing, because they are larger, I bite the lower inside of my mouth. I got over the appearance of their size, because they really do not show, but still ....after all this time, the "fit" annoys me. NOW....I just had 4 seperate crowns on my 2 front teeth, and the two to the left of them. Three of them seem fine, but the one to the far left drives me crazy....it too being oversized I think. It feels I have something stuffed under my lip, and when I smile, it feels like a fang... like it bulges out. When you look at it...at first glance...it looks ok,, but when I study it...it is just thick and bulky...and I hate it. I really like my dentist, he is kind, and a nice person, but he acts like he doesn't know what I am talking about....grinds it down a bit,polishes it, and says "hows that?". I think it needs to be taken off and remade. Can it be taken off since it is permantly cemented on? I am not of an assertive nature, but think I can speak up about how I really feel about the work if I knew my rights/options. I think between what the insurance company has paid, and my portion it has cost around 10,000 dollars + already. And what about the bottm 3...since it has been so long. I have mentioned to him repeatedly that they are big, and I bite my mouth while chewing. He just kind of ignores the comments. Do I have the right to request new ones be done. I don't want to make an enemy out of them. There are a couple of other doctors in the practice. He is young, they being more senior dentists. Should I ask their opinion? All I want to do is smile with pride, and having this work done has long been a goal of mine...hence my unhappiness, and disappointment. Sorry this is so wordy. I hope you understand what I am asking and what advise I need. Thanks.  SignatureChrista Christa, This is probably the case with the bottom left bridge: it feels bulky to your tongue because you were missing a tooth there and now you don't...less room for your tongue overall. That's my guess without seeing your mouth. Try to adjust to it and if you can't, ask your dentist if it's feasible to recontour it a bit. Lower front teeth: nightmare to have crowns made. Natural lower front teeth are quite tiny to begin with. Reducing them enough to allow esthetic-looking crowns without encroaching on the pulp is quite a challenge. They will be bulky to some degree. The far left tooth is your canine and will tend to be bigger compared to the other anterior teeth. The crown for it will need to be made the same way to prevent you from grinding down your other teeth (move your jaw to the left, you will notice your canines touching each other). That said, if you truly feel uncomfortable and can't adjust to them, express it to your dentist. He started it, he'll complete it. I'm sure he'll take steps to make you smile with pride :-) P.S.: This is based on assumptions since I don't have your models. > Gosh. I am so unhappy. After many years of holding back on "smiles", due > to [quoted text clipped - 56 lines] > advise I need. > Thanks. Thanks for your reply. I did not mention it in my post, but the 4 new crowns are my upper teeth, not the lower. It is only one---the canine that is bigger, and feels like a bulky fang. or like I have cotton or something stuffed under my lip. So are you saying this can be "recontoured while in my mouth...and to what extent? Or can it be removed (being permantly cemented in already) and remade smaller. I know they have a lab on the premises, and just dont know how this one came out so large and the others are ok. They were all done at the same time. COuld it have been the mold was made badly? ANd who would be responsible...the dentist or the lab guy who made the crown? Should that really be my concern? I have detected through overhearing conversations while in the chair that there is a general type of "fear" or concern of ticking the lab guy off. This tooth annoys me physically...not just the looks of it to the point that I just want to get it out of my mouth. SignatureChrista She says she is biting her cheek. That implies that perhaps the porcelain is contoured too far to the buccal side. Might require re-making the FPD with greater reduction of the preps in this area. Signature~+--~+--~+--~+--~+-- Stephen [What's a Temporary?], D.D.S. Michigan, USA .................................................... This posting is intended for informational or conversational purposes only. Always seek the opinion of a licensed dental professional before acting on the advice or opinion expressed here. Only a dentist who has examined you in person can diagnose your problems and make decisions which will affect your health. ...................... > Christa, > [quoted text clipped - 80 lines] >> advise I need. >> Thanks. You should definitely discuss this with your dentist and explain your dissatisfaction. It is impossible to evaluate your specific situation without seeing you -- I think you must realize that. However, if you are not satisfied, discuss it. Maybe something can be done, maybe not. There is an old saying that if I explain the procedure/outcome to the patient BEFORE I do something, it is "patient education" -- but if I explain it after, it is an excuse. There is something to this, and perhaps your dentist, being young, did not explain what's what adequately beforehand. Keep in mind that it is impossible to duplicate nature. The position of your natural teeth, their size, etc., will definitely impact on what can be done. Although it is somewhat different, think of plastic surgery on one's face. Wouldn't it be nice if we could take anyone and make them look like a movie star? Well, there is only so much that can be done, but it is very iimportant to explain to a patient before the procedure what they should expect. It is possible that your dentist did not do this, but it also is possible that he did but you didn't "hear" him completely. I can remember over 30 years ago when making dentures for a patient I stressed that a denture will not be like "real" teeth and it would take time to get used to it. When the denture was finally completed, I told the patient, again, that it would take time to learn to eat, and get used to it. The patient's reply was, "I realize that I probably won't be able to chew a steak and eat corn on the cob tonight -- it will probably take a few DAYS before I can do that!" I thought I had been adequately communicating with this patient, but obviously, I had missed the boat. After that, I ALWAYS make sure that I explain everthing to the patient several times and ask them specifically if they understand what I'm saying so that I am positive that we both are on the same wavelength. I don't know if your expectations are realistic or not, but another possibility would be to get another opinion from another dentist. You would need to pay for this, and your insurance company may not cover it, but perhaps it would be worth it to give you some piece of mind. Good luck! > Gosh. I am so unhappy. After many years of holding back on "smiles", due to > discolored or missing/damaged teeth, I finally have been undergoing a smile [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > advise I need. > Thanks. >I don't know if your expectations are realistic or not, but another >possibility would be to get another opinion from another dentist. Thank you for your reply . I actually think my expectations were realistic. The teeth actually look great....It is just the "fit".... with them not being consistant in size with the other remaining teeth. I guess my disappointment comes in in that where before I had the work done, I did not like the appearance of them.... and now I do not like the feel of certain ones. Half of the crowns/bridges done I cannot even "feel" the difference in my mouth. They feel natural. But there is the one bridge (too large), and the ONE canine crown (larger that the other 3 crowns next to it, front upper teeth) that makes its presence felt in my mouth continually. I guess the bottom line question would be. Can they be removed? being permantly cemented in? And is it an unreasonable request? He will be mad, I'm sure, but it is my mouth, that I have to live with...and I am unhappy with half the work. Should a dentist guarrantee his work to the patients satistfaction? >> Gosh. I am so unhappy. After many years of holding back on "smiles", due to >> discolored or missing/damaged teeth, I finally have been undergoing a smile >[quoted text clipped - 33 lines] >> advise I need. >> Thanks. SignatureChrista A dentist or physican is not required to "guarantee" treatment, as it would usually be almost impossible to do so. However, if you are not satisfied, I would discuss this with your dentist, and explain exactly what the problem is. I doubt that he would "be mad" but if he is, he shouldn't be. Can it be removed if it was permanently cemented in? That would depend on the situation, which no one can tell without seeing you. However, it may be able to be removed. It can ALWAYS be removed by cutting it off [painless, don't worry about that] but that would ruin the bridge and it would need to be redone. Before you worry about all that, discuss this with your dentist, and/or get a second opinion. Perhaps the position/size of your original teeth make it necessary that the crowns have to be somewhat large, but I don't really know without seeing you. Good luck! > >I don't know if your expectations are realistic or not, but another > >possibility would be to get another opinion from another dentist. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > >> advise I need. > >> Thanks. >>I don't know if your expectations are realistic or not, but another >>possibility would be to get another opinion from another dentist. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > with...and I am unhappy with half the work. Should a dentist guarrantee his > work to the patients satistfaction? Quite the contrary--explicit guarantees are usually a red flag. No heart surgeon should guarantee your heart will be perfect, and if they do--run. On the other hand, this is definitely worth discussing, and the receptiveness of the dentist to your concerns should be telling. He should make a real effort to understand why you are unhappy, and make a real effort to make things right, or to make you understand why they cannot be made right. Steve >>>Gosh. I am so unhappy. After many years of holding back on "smiles", due to >>>discolored or missing/damaged teeth, I finally have been undergoing a smile [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >>>advise I need. >>>Thanks. SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 Christa, can you post a picture of the front teeth? > >>I don't know if your expectations are realistic or not, but another > >>possibility would be to get another opinion from another dentist. [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > Brooklyn, NY > 718-258-5001 Apparenrly dentists are terrified of lawsuits involving medicare patients, so they should be terrified of you. As to no gaurantee! Of course there is a gaurantee, most purchases are gauranteed to be fit for their advertized uses. You just need an "expert" to testify that the work was not to standard. There's also a good chance that you can sue for expenses too ( legal etc ) as well as pain suffering. lost wages, psychic pain ( worry ), & etc. I have a friend who was quoted $2250 for 7 simple extractions, criminal, another paid $375 after a 25% discoount for one simple extraction. It's getting time to sue or watch the laughing boys loose any semblance of respect for their rubes. WhooSh !! >Apparenrly dentists are terrified of lawsuits involving medicare >patients, so they should be terrified of you. As to no gaurantee! Of [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >extraction. It's getting time to sue or watch the laughing boys loose >any semblance of respect for their rubes. .. Stephen Troy, Michigan, USA I am writing on a Tablet-PC,so forgive me if the PC misreads my handwriting. apparently autism runs through the dentist's cartel > apparently autism runs through the dentist's cartel Quite the little internet wimp aren't you carabelli Quite the little internet wimp aren't you carabelli > Apparenrly dentists are terrified of lawsuits involving medicare > patients, so they should be terrified of you. What has Medicare to do with it? Medicare doesn't even cover routine dental services. Are you so terrified of online resources (like dictionaries, for example, to check spelling before posting!) that you can't check Medicare exclusions before making baseless statements? As to no gaurantee! Of > course there is a gaurantee, most purchases are gauranteed to be fit > for their advertized uses. No. This does not apply to healthcare. Health services cannot be "guaranteed" because science shows that it is impossible to know exactly the outcome of healthcare procedures. The goal in healthcare is to deliver services which meet the standard of care, which is quite different from knowing the outcome in advance. Hence Dr. Bornfeld's valuable admonition: "Quite the contrary--explicit guarantees are usually a red flag. No heart surgeon should guarantee your heart will be perfect, and if they do--run." - dentaldoc "Are you so terrified of online resources (like dictionaries, for example, to check spelling before posting!) that you can't check Medicare exclusions before making baseless statements? As to no gaurantee! " A perhaps you should check a punktuation guide before mispunctuating ( poor pettifogging lad ). It's nice to hear that doctors can't be held responsible for their blunders and that denists are the same as heart surgeons ( what a lot of barely literate "professionals" we have here ) > "Are you so terrified of online resources (like dictionaries, for > example, to check spelling before posting!) that you can't check [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > blunders and that denists are the same as heart surgeons ( what a lot > of barely literate "professionals" we have here ) Nice try, make sure your mom buys a new backpack for you before middle school starts up again. carabelli > Nice try, make sure your mom buys a new backpack for you before middle > school starts up again. > > carabelli Middle school? You are feeling generous today! T >> Nice try, make sure your mom buys a new backpack for you before middle >> school starts up again. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > T You know how it is with unnamed sources today. Jan finally kicked him out of daycare at age 13. Toilet training issues were still unresolved. carabelli Don't be jealous just because your mommy ( rightly ) thought you were snot. |
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