Gail, Does it have to bleed to get the lisp..MC

"I guess you could sue the dentist for biting your own tongue though"
Yes, especially if the tongue bleeds and you end up with a lisp"

Gail

I guess you could sue the dentist for biting your own tongue though!

Not a dentist, just advice from Ann Landers column at one time, said it before,
but  worth repeating?
For those that are not too high strung or high tension personality, when laying
down, even while up, and when sleeping, relax and put the tongue between the
upper and lower teeth and learn to keep it there, will keep the teeth from
clenching.
Handy and easy to maneuver with the same effect as an appliance.  
Do this at your own risk, however, if you have any problem with it.  

Gail

    Most crowns are porcelain baked over a coping of metal.  This gives a
balance of esthetics and strength, but one area they aren't so great in
is esthetics at the gumline, where the porcelain is thin.  If the
gumline recedes even a little you may see the metal edge of the crown,
which will look dark.
    Dentists are doing more all-ceramic crowns now, which are more
cosmetic.  I still believe you're giving up a little in the strength
department, so I would reserve their use to areas where esthetics is
critical and moderate biting forces make their use a good bet.  You
still may see the edge of the crown if the gumline recedes, but it won't
be dark.
    It sounds like you've built up a good relationship with this dentist
over 10 years, and it seems like he's showing genuine concern.  I
wouldn't let one mistake in this time send you running to lawyers.

Best,
Steve

To answer some of the questions to my post.

Yew he called 2 times that evening but I wasn't home. I was to upset to cook
so my husband took my out to eat. To talk about this for a moment, I am
afraid that my  front teeth are going to chip or break if I bite anything
with any force, even an apple.

I went to seen him a few days after he called again. He acknowledged the
damages and one more tooth I wasn't sure of. I had he grind down the broken
molar because it was uncomfortable.

He wants to do all the corrections for free... Like I should have to "pay"
to have him do it.
He also will not charge me for a new splint if I still want one. I was
getting the splint to make sure my teeth and gums stayed healthy since I
guess I clinch them at night. He said that he wants to build up the teeth
along the bottom edge as opposed to grinding them off, therefore making them
shorter. I wouldn't want shorter teeth. They'd look fake.

I am going in for a cleaning in 2 weeks and they made an appointment for me
in 4 weeks to do the work, during which time I am going to bleach my teeth.
I want them a white as possible before I get any new color added to the
edges.

My teeth and gums are in very good shape. I am 53. He has pretty much
rebuilt my entire mouth over the past 10 years. I have all my molars capped
now. Are they supposed to be dark at the gum line? I do hate the look of
that. I should have Hollywood teeth by now shouldn't I?

Thanks

    First of all, anyone can sue anyone for anything.  A successful law
suit is another thing.
    What you are supposed to prove for a successful law suit are negligence
and damages.  You certainly have damages, but whether what was done
rises to the level of negligence is not self-evident.  Getting acrylic
devices locked onto teeth is something just about every dentist has
done--yours truly included.  Utilizing enough force to break teeth is
another story--but we know nothing about how he tried to remove the
splint, what kind of shape the teeth were in beforehand--which can
change the way the damages are viewed.
    From a practical standpoint, since malpractice cases are taken on a
contingency basis, unless there is a potential large payday you aren't
going to find a lawyer to take your case.  Lawsuits are expensive to
bring, and few lawyers (unless they're really hungry) are going to take
a case where the damages are a couple of minimally damaged teeth.
    You also haven't told me whether you have given the dentist the chance
to put things right.  If the dentist has offered to repair the damage
and you refuse to see him again, the legal and ethical situation is not
too clear.
    In short, it is not clear whether this is incompetence or an
unfortunate accident.  Give him the chance to fix the teeth, or at least
discuss the issues with him prior to going to a law suit.

Steve

he was fitting a splint with acrylic to make it more snug. It got hard and
he couldn't get it off so he was sawing and prying it off of my top teeth.
The torque from prying chipped my front 4 teeth along the bottom edge. Also
one on my crowned mo was chipped.

I was terrified while all this was going on and there was pain from all the
torque. This took 2 1/2 hours.
I was sore and scared and left after they cleaned up the mess.

I went back after several days and he confirmed all the chipped teeth.

My teeth are still chipped and even though they aren't huge chips I am of a
mind to sue him.

Any thoughts please? What are my rights.

Thanks