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Medical Forum / General / Dentistry / January 2006Wrong crown, scary dentist: What can I do?
I recently moved to a new town and picked one of my insurance company's prefered providers. I had a broken filling that was bothering me. Well, a request to file it led to a filling which led to a root canal and temporary crown, which seemed fine. But a couple days ago, the dentist put in the permanent crown and after a half hour of glueing and fiddling (he seemed to have trouble getting it to fit) he says what a good match it is, hands me a mirror and tries to rush me on my way. The thing is, it was originally a pointed canine tooth, and was now replaced with a rectangular tooth that bore no resemblance to the other. Reluctant to recognize the problem, he finally said he would file the opposite (real) tooth down to match and lowered the seat and reached for his drill. I insisted that he not do that, and make the crown correct (as the temporary was). He argued that it was too late for that, and it was an "aesthetic concern" and a matter of opinion, and that if I wanted a pointed tooth I should have made that clear at the beginning. I argued that, by that logic, he could have installed a green tooth and insisted it was my fault that I had not requested white. He finally relented and said he'd use the temporary impression to do a new crown and install in three weeks. Meanwhile, I have this weird square one in my mouth that's also too thick (from front to back) and the porcelain doesn't reach the gumline (metal showing). Can this mess up my other teeth or gums over the course of three weeks? What are the chances this guy will get it right and not insert a monkey tooth in my head next? I'd go to another dentist but I already handed over $700 after the first appointment (they tried to extract an additional $600 this time, which I refused under the circumstances). I'd like to cut and run, but this guy still has the temporary and impression, so that's the only record I have of what my tooth should look like. Anybody who can provide advice on what I should do at this point, I'd much appreciate it. Thanks. sounds like dental lab messed it up... if you can see the metal with new crown right now...then he would have to do more drilling so margin will be below the gumline( assuming your gum is healthy and have space to put margin below the gumline).... Since you already had rootcanal, the tooth will turn dark over time... so it's important to have margin that's below the gumline. I would give him second chance at correcting the situation. If you want to try different dentist, you can. they don't need your old temporary to make tooth look more "pointy" >I recently moved to a new town and picked one of my insurance company's >prefered providers. I had a broken filling that was bothering me. Well, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >replaced with a rectangular tooth that bore no resemblance to the >other. Jeez I always do that by mistake. I glue the molar crown for Mr. X onto the canine tooth of Mrs. Y. When I finally figure it out I bring them both back into the office, hammer both crowns off and switch them. Joel > Reluctant to recognize the problem, he finally said he would >file the opposite (real) tooth down to match and lowered the seat and [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >can provide advice on what I should do at this point, I'd much >appreciate it. Thanks. > Jeez I always do that by mistake. I glue the molar crown for Mr. X > onto the canine tooth of Mrs. Y. When I finally figure it out I bring > them both back into the office, hammer both crowns off and switch > them. > > Joel Makes for a good joke before a wedding too! <G> Dartos >> Jeez I always do that by mistake. I glue the molar crown for Mr. X >> onto the canine tooth of Mrs. Y. When I finally figure it out I bring [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] ><G> >Dartos We always need a good joke BEFORE a wedding so we can forget the BAD JOKES after ...... >I recently moved to a new town and picked one of my insurance company's > preferred providers. Ever wonder why the insurance company prefers this office ?  Signature/ Amatus / >I recently moved to a new town and picked one of my insurance company's > prefered providers. I had a broken filling that was bothering me. Well, [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > can provide advice on what I should do at this point, I'd much > appreciate it. Thanks. I wonder if in fact the insurance company prefered this dentist or this dentist prefered this insurance company. Most dentists that are good do not need to be employed/prefered by the insurance company. Insurance companies want these dentists but are not willing to compensate them enough to keep them. Ever try to get fair market value on a claim from an insurance company??? Buyer be ware. It is true the lab did not do a good job but that is because this is a cheap inexperienced lab that charges $40/crown a prefered lab for a prefered provider and a prefered insurance company. Unless this dentist sends your case to a high end lab, I would get your money back or take the loss and complain to the insurance company for setting you up with a cheap provider that uses a cheap lab. Unfortunately unless this square crown comes off and a new impression is taken and when it comes back if the models are different colours/setup you will not be sure your case went to a different lab. I doubt this dentist will want to eat another more expensive lab fee on your tooth more than likely he will demand the first lab to get it right which may not be possible. Dentistry is an art and an artist does not become one over night. If you choose to stay with this guy most likely yo will have that crown redone in the future by someone else at future prices. The question really is do you have trust in this dentist to do the right thing the message I am getting from your posts and I could be wrong is it took some convincing to get this guy to admit to himself the lab screwed up and he was hoping you would not notice. Would you trust someone like that??? is the question. BTW this guy could be great at doing fillings but as long as he uses a cheap lab, he is only as good as the lab technician unless he chooses to change. Good Luck. BTW the reason I say this is a cheap lab is because of the price you were charged for the crown $700 does not fit the formula for a high end lab these days. For example if your tooth was sent to DiVinci(a high end lab used for some of ABC's extreme makeovers) the lab bill would have been approx $400 including tax shipping. The dentist's fee has to be enough to cover at least 1 redo and office time for 2 appointments plus proft. At $700 including a $400/crown lab fee you are not going to do it at $40/crown lab fee you will and with volume you are doing well. $700 dollars does not fit the criteria for a high-end lab these days? How is one to know if the price being charged for a crown is because of it being made by a high-end lab or a dentist charging too much? And what exactly would a quality crown cost, assuming porcelain fused to metal? I would charge close to $1K for one if I were to still make one. SM Funny how no one wants one if I offer the "other thing" > $700 dollars does not fit the criteria for a high-end lab these days? > How is one to know if the price being charged for a crown is because of > it being made by a high-end lab or a dentist charging too much? > > And what exactly would a quality crown cost, assuming porcelain fused > to metal? >I would charge close to $1K for one if I were to still make one. > >SM Interesting! My CERECs are billed out at $150 per tooth, that is if I ever made one, which I do not. Joel >Funny how no one wants one if I offer the "other thing" > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >> And what exactly would a quality crown cost, assuming porcelain fused >> to metal? > $700 dollars does not fit the criteria for a high-end lab these days? > How is one to know if the price being charged for a crown is because of > it being made by a high-end lab or a dentist charging too much? > > And what exactly would a quality crown cost, assuming porcelain fused > to metal? I know I couldn't pay a lab anywhere near $700 for a crown. Steve Signature{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1507;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs20 Remove "nospam" to reply\par } Thanks again for your thoughts. At this point, I don't have any real choice but to get the thing off. The crooked mouth aspect may be merely "aesthetic," but the fact that it is the only tooth whose rear surface sticks out so far just outside the gumline makes it uncomfortable. The dentist did call to say that he had ordered one where the porcelain coating goes all the way up, so that will take care of the black line showing near the gumline thing. But at the same time, if a more proven dentist (coworkers have recommended one) would be more likely to save the tooth, I know I'll feel horrible if this guy blows it further. And then there's the money I've already spent and the certainty that he wouldn't hand over xrays and impressions without paying the rest.... > Thanks again for your thoughts. At this point, I don't have any real > choice but to get the thing off. The crooked mouth aspect may be merely [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > then there's the money I've already spent and the certainty that he > wouldn't hand over xrays and impressions without paying the rest.... In most states he may not legally withhold copies of x-rays on that basis. Steve Signature{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1507;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs20 Remove "nospam" to reply\par } > In most states he may not legally withhold copies of x-rays on that basis. HIPAA is federal Signature/ Amatus / > >> Thanks again for your thoughts. At this point, I don't have any real [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Steve >>In most states he may not legally withhold copies of x-rays on that basis. > > HIPAA is federal Does HIPAA control transfer of hard copies of x-rays to patients? This is in the state dental practice act, AFAIK. Steve SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 > What kind of 'spreader' ? Check it out Signature/ Amatus / >>>In most states he may not legally withhold copies of x-rays on that >>>basis. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Steve >> $700 dollars does not fit the criteria for a high-end lab these days? >> How is one to know if the price being charged for a crown is because of [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Steve There is no lab that charges that much. Arrowhead is at the high end at over $200 a pop. Joel Actually, Joel there is. There is that prosthodontist guy Mc Lauren who does his own lab work takes him 1-2 months to make a crown, he bills the patient for the lab fee separately. I also know of another guy who charges $500/ unit. I know through a patient of mine that works for ABC that for the extreme makeover show, DiVinchi charged $500/ unit and Dorfman charged $2500/unit. These are the ridiculously high end labs the dentists that use them charge $4000/unit. The majority of the american population would not be able to afford this. >Actually, Joel there is. >There is that prosthodontist guy Mc Lauren who does his own lab work >takes him 1-2 months to make a crown, he bills the patient for the lab >fee separately. Is this okay? I say no. UCCI and the big insurance companies agree with me. >I also know of another guy who charges $500/ unit. I >know through a patient of mine that works for ABC that for the extreme [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >charge $4000/unit. The majority of the american population would not be >able to afford this. True. > Is this okay? I say no. UCCI and the big insurance companies agree > with me. So ? That does not mean the guy can't bill that way if he wants to. Signature/ Amatus / > >>Actually, Joel there is. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > True. > I recently moved to a new town and picked one of my insurance company's > prefered providers. I had a broken filling that was bothering me. Well, [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > can provide advice on what I should do at this point, I'd much > appreciate it. Thanks. Most of this can be read as a matter of opinion, or maybe you're too picky. That is until you said the part about drilling the other tooth to make it match the deformed crown. Now I'm thinking something MAY be seriously wrong here. I'd be inclined to give him another chance. But make sure he tries it in and you have a chance to look at it and approve it before it is cemented. Make sure the bite feels OK, and that the gumline area looks good. Floss should be able to pass between the teeth with some resistance. You paid $700 for a crown and they wanted another $600? And this was a preferred provider??? Consider changing the dentist after that. Steve Signature{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1507;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs20 Remove "nospam" to reply\par } I was wondering if the crown could have been recontoured to look pointy in the mouth. ares > Most of this can be read as a matter of opinion, or maybe you're too picky. > That is until you said the part about drilling the other tooth to make [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > "nospam" to reply\par > } > I was wondering if the crown could have been recontoured to look pointy in > the mouth. > ares No, the regular tooth is about 40-50 percent longer than the crown. As for the pricing someone asked about, it's actually quite a bit more, the total coming to somewhere around 1800. Insurance, apparently, would pick up around 500 of it. Unfortunately, Blue Shield insurance has been a joke too: two months after being on the plan, I still haven't gotten a card and can't seem to get them to tell me what they'll cover. My hope is that they'll make this guy charge me less than he's trying to, but so far no response from them. The state, by the way, is California. I'd probably get better care in Mississippi or Arkansas. Thanks for all the advice. I'll definitely be inspecting the next one before it goes in. I'm going to try to stick it out, cos I can't afford to eat the $700 and I'm sure he'd send a collection agency for the remainder regardless of what a mess he's making of it. Is it really that hard to get a cemented tooth off, by the way? And is there a problem with a mishapen tooth in your mouth for a few weeks? It seems to fit okay on the sides, but the rear face of it sticks out at the gumline quite a bit, unlike any of the other teeth. This is a great website by the way. I appreciate all the advice and much of the humor. > As for the pricing someone asked about, it's actually quite a bit more, > the total coming to somewhere around 1800. As someone has often opined...... sometimes you get what you pay for, sometimes you get less Dartos Wow, sounds like some short crown! It is very tricky to get off a cemented tooth without cutting it off because you don't want to break the remaining tooth off, especially one that had root canal, and sometimes you don't know what one was cemented with and some can be very strong; durelon though is one that is easier to get a crown off from. Insurance is a hassel in every way, unless you get lucky. ares > > I was wondering if the crown could have been recontoured to look pointy in > > the mouth. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > This is a great website by the way. I appreciate all the advice and > much of the humor. So are there any precautions I can have this guy take in order to keep from destroying what's left of my tooth when it's time to take the crown off? Because obviously he can't be trusted to act responsibly on his own. (I can hear it now: "Oh, you didn't want me to break it and the two teeth around it? Well you should have said that when you walked in here...") > So are there any precautions I can have this guy take in order to keep > from destroying what's left of my tooth when it's time to take the > crown off? Because obviously he can't be trusted to act responsibly on > his own. (I can hear it now: "Oh, you didn't want me to break it and > the two teeth around it? Well you should have said that when you walked > in here...") If you are convinced he cannot act responsibly (you're there, we aren't) then your only recourse is to go elsewhere. Steve SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 > > So are there any precautions I can have this guy take in order to keep > > from destroying what's left of my tooth when it's time to take the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Steve Hello Steve, I think it is also a patient responsibility -- if there is no one else within a reasonable distance (needs definition), then the patient may not have a choice. But that is not likely the case. Patients tend to either forget or not even realize that in addition to their having "patient rights" they also have "patient responsibilities". That might be an interesting discussion... Webby >>>So are there any precautions I can have this guy take in order to keep >>>from destroying what's left of my tooth when it's time to take the [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Webby In the present case, I think it is risky to pop the crown off. There are a variety of methods to do this, but none are risk-free. Whether to try is a judgement call. The judgement at this point is how likely the tooth is to be damaged in the attempt to remove the crown. A good dentist is qualified to make this judgement if he/she has seen the prepared tooth and a good x-ray. But if the dentist's good judgement is sufficiently in doubt, I don't know what admonition a patient might make to get him to shape up. The guy either knows his stuff, or he doesn't. Of course, the patient may be wrong in this judgement. But this is a judgement that in the end only the patient can make. There are so many clinical areas in which a patient cannot judge. But crummy esthetics and pain are two areas in which a patient can. So patient perceptions in these areas must be telling. Otherwise, the patient is attempting to judge by non-clinican parameters--office appearance, promptness, etc. Or a patient must judge a dentist's responsiveness to concerns and specific questions. Frankly, I don't know what else the patient can do in this case. Steve SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 >> So are there any precautions I can have this guy take in order to keep >> from destroying what's left of my tooth when it's time to take the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >Steve Oh the dentist would love that! You wrote: So are there any precautions I can have this guy take in order to keep from destroying what's left of my tooth when it's time to take the crown off? Because obviously he can't be trusted to act responsibly on his own. (I can hear it now: "Oh, you didn't want me to break it and the two teeth around it? Well you should have said that when you walked in here...") _______________________________________ There is a way to get all your money back and start fresh. First, before you chose a dentist, you did check to be sure that this dentist was a member of the California Dental Association, right? In California, the dental association operates a Peer Review system that requires a member dentist to give your money back if the crown is found to fall short of normal professional dental standards. You can then go to another dentist and start over. And you can choose a dentist based on his reputation for skill instead of just an appearance on a list. To keep your costs down, you can choose a dentist who is highly regarded by your friends and neighbors AND is on your list. But if your first dentist is not a member of the dental association, you're out of luck, as the dental association has no way of enforcing standards on non-members. If you trust your current dentist to provide good treatment on the second try, that's the quickest way to solve your problem. The use of the Peer Review system can then be a backup for you if the second crown isn't any better -- but only if he's a member dentist. Best regards, - dentaldoc That is not a guarantee that you'll get all your money back. The association can only inforce the dentist following peer review's decision as long as the dentist agrees to be a member, if the dentist quits the association you are out of luck and will have to follow the office's refund policies. You could go to small claims but you will have to convince the judge who is inexperienced in dentistry or cosmetics to see the case your way. Testimony or an affidavid from another dentist or two would be more convincing. Alexander Vasserman wrote: That is not a guarantee that you'll get all your money back. The association can only inforce the dentist following peer review's decision as long as the dentist agrees to be a member, if the dentist quits the association you are out of luck and will have to follow the office's refund policies. You could go to small claims but you will have to convince the judge who is inexperienced in dentistry or cosmetics to see the case your way. Testimony or an affidavid from another dentist or two would be more convincing. ___________________________________________ Even if the dentist quits the dental association (and if he's unwilling to allow three similarly experienced practitioners to evaluate his treatment, perhaps he shouldn't be practicing in the first place) he still has agreed to be bound by the committee's findings regarding treatment rendered when he was a member. If he should lose the case, quit the association, and refuse to abide by the decision -- which is relatively rare -- the patient still has a formal letter written by the state professional association attesting to the unacceptability of the treatment. That letter is a testament by at least three dentists, not just one or two, and can go a long way in small claims court. Most other dentists will not want to give testimony or sign an affidavit without substantial payment, if they are willing to do it at all, as they leave themselves open to potential countersuits from the defendant dentist. The Peer Review written decision can be a powerful tool in those circumstances. - dentaldoc There is not much damage that this dentist can do by making a new crown as long as he does not grind on your tooth. However if he did not leave enough room in the first place for the lab then it would be better to grind on the tooth. Again it all boils down to trust. Picking a dentist is like picking a spouse, you need to have trust relationship. Trust is something we can not advise you on from a newsgroup, it is something you need to sense. The thing that raised flags in my mind about this guy is that he wanted to grind the incisal edge on the opposite tooth for cosmetic reasons without discussing this before making the first crown. That to me is odd and it is probably good that you stopped him. Alex, The purple email address does not work. Could you contact me with the right one? Signature/ Amatus / > There is not much damage that this dentist can do by making a new crown > as long as he does not grind on your tooth. However if he did not leave [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > without discussing this before making the first crown. That to me is > odd and it is probably good that you stopped him. >So are there any precautions I can have this guy take in order to keep >from destroying what's left of my tooth when it's time to take the >crown off? Because obviously he can't be trusted to act responsibly on >his own. (I can hear it now: "Oh, you didn't want me to break it and >the two teeth around it? Well you should have said that when you walked >in here...") Sure, I'd warn him to grind it off not hammer it off. If he hameers and he busts the tooth tell him you are going to sue him big time ...... Joel hameer it off is not a typo. It rhymes with Sameer. I just slit down the middle on front and back and gently pry apart; if it doesn't come I keep removing more metal. Sometimes takes me a long time just for being cautious that I don't break something if it could have been avoided. ares > So are there any precautions I can have this guy take in order to keep > from destroying what's left of my tooth when it's time to take the > crown off? Because obviously he can't be trusted to act responsibly on > his own. (I can hear it now: "Oh, you didn't want me to break it and > the two teeth around it? Well you should have said that when you walked > in here...") >Wow, sounds like some short crown! Is that anything like short people? I mean vertically challenged people? > It is very tricky to get off a cemented >tooth without cutting it off because you don't want to break the remaining [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] >> This is a great website by the way. I appreciate all the advice and >> much of the humor. > It is very tricky to get off a cemented > tooth without cutting it off because you don't want to break the remaining > tooth off, I have not tried to "pop" off a crown in about 15 years. I always slit the facial, insert a spreader and peel it off. Signature/ Amatus / > Wow, sounds like some short crown! It is very tricky to get off a > cemented [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] >> This is a great website by the way. I appreciate all the advice and >> much of the humor. >> It is very tricky to get off a cemented >> tooth without cutting it off because you don't want to break the remaining >> tooth off, > >I have not tried to "pop" off a crown in about 15 years. I always slit the >facial, insert a spreader and peel it off. What kind of 'spreader' ? I use an old style band pusher. Very stout. -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com I believe it is a "Christensen Spreader" made by HF. It looks like an elevator with a screwdriver shaped tip. Signature/ Amatus / > >>> It is very tricky to get off a cemented [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > Take out the G'RBAGE > wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com >I believe it is a "Christensen Spreader" made by HF. It looks like an >elevator with a screwdriver shaped tip. Thanks. -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com >>I believe it is a "Christensen Spreader" made by HF. It looks like an >>elevator with a screwdriver shaped tip. > > Thanks. If you get it ( I would recommend buying it ), get the set of two. One straight and one right angle. They are very useful, and well made. Signature/ Amatus / > >>I believe it is a "Christensen Spreader" made by HF. It looks like an [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Take out the G'RBAGE > wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com And they perfectly fit into a slot cut with a #330. Dartos >>>I believe it is a "Christensen Spreader" made by HF. It looks like an >>>elevator with a screwdriver shaped tip. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > If you get it ( I would recommend buying it ), get the set of two. One > straight and one right angle. They are very useful, and well made. > And they perfectly fit into a slot cut with a #330. I cut my slot with a #256 and they fit in there very well also. Signature/ Amatus / > > And they perfectly fit into a slot cut with a #330. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >> If you get it ( I would recommend buying it ), get the set of two. One >> straight and one right angle. They are very useful, and well made. >> And they perfectly fit into a slot cut with a #330. > >I cut my slot with a #256 and they fit in there very well also. I find that a 331L seems to last longest in this particular operation. 330L and 245 are OK in a pinch. -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com >And they perfectly fit into a slot cut with a #330. To say nothing about puncturing beer cans when the church key is missing ........ >Dartos > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >> If you get it ( I would recommend buying it ), get the set of two. One >> straight and one right angle. They are very useful, and well made. > No, the regular tooth is about 40-50 percent longer than the crown. That can happen easily if the lab does not see what the opposite side looks like and are forced to contour the new crown to fit the teeth behind it instead. You want a full arch impression on a cuspid. That means the impression should capture every tooth in the upper jaw. Signature/ Amatus / >> I was wondering if the crown could have been recontoured to look pointy >> in [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > This is a great website by the way. I appreciate all the advice and > much of the humor. >I was wondering if the crown could have been recontoured to look pointy in >the mouth. >ares Especially with Halloween approaching ....... >> Most of this can be read as a matter of opinion, or maybe you're too >picky. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >> "nospam" to reply\par >> } >I recently moved to a new town and picked one of my insurance company's >prefered providers. I had a broken filling that was bothering me. Well, [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >and the porcelain doesn't reach the gumline (metal showing). Can this >mess up my other teeth or gums over the course of three weeks? Doubtful >What are >the chances this guy will get it right and not insert a monkey tooth in >my head next? Sorry but that's unknown. >I'd go to another dentist but I already handed over $700 >after the first appointment OK > (they tried to extract an additional $600 >this time, which I refused under the circumstances). Good for you. > I'd like to cut >and run, but this guy still has the temporary and impression, so that's >the only record I have of what my tooth should look like. Anybody who >can provide advice on what I should do at this point, I'd much >appreciate it. See what the new crown looks like, insist on seeing it *before* it is cemented in place. If you don't like it, say so. It isn't really necessary to have a pre-op (preliminary) impression of the tooth before crown preparation to achieve a harmonic and balanced result. It is done all the time. >Thanks. -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com >It isn't really necessary to have a pre-op (preliminary) impression of the tooth >before crown preparation to achieve a harmonic and balanced result. >It is done all the time. Any one want to wager that this dentist only made a quadrant impression, and the poor lab did not have any idea what the other side looks like. Amatus >>I recently moved to a new town and picked one of my insurance company's >>prefered providers. I had a broken filling that was bothering me. Well, [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] > >>Thanks. .. Amatus . Possible but it is also possible this was an anterior section impression. >>It isn't really necessary to have a pre-op (preliminary) impression of the tooth >>before crown preparation to achieve a harmonic and balanced result. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Amatus I'm down with that. -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com >Reluctant to recognize the problem, he finally said he would >file the opposite (real) tooth down to match and lowered the seat and >reached for his drill. yeah rrrriiiigght. Did you smell any alcohol? >I insisted that he not do that, and make the >crown correct (as the temporary was). He argued that it was too late >for that, and it was an "aesthetic concern" and a matter of opinion, >and that if I wanted a pointed tooth I should have made that clear at >the beginning. An aesthetic concern? Are you kidding? This must be getting close to malpractice. >I argued that, by that logic, he could have installed a >green tooth and insisted it was my fault that I had not requested >white. Good point. Is this how he does everyones teeth? What state are you in? >He finally relented and said he'd use the temporary impression >to do a new crown and install in three weeks. >What are the chances this guy will get it right and not insert a monkey tooth in >my head next? Hard to say. >I'd go to another dentist but I already handed over $700 >after the first appointment (they tried to extract an additional $600 [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >can provide advice on what I should do at this point, I'd much >appreciate it. Thanks. I'd probably get a refund for the time spent cementing the wrong crown to the tooth, make him hand over the impression (even if thats not usually done) and get out. I'd also complain to the ins company,at the least. ...then you're stuck w/ finding another dentist quickly to get that "thing" off your tooth. You want to make sure the dentist you go to is honest, has the guts to admit to a mistake, and if a mistake was made is willing to correct it. |
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