Bad Dentistry

[rootbeer7]

Perhaps one of our dentist members can offer a bit of advice. I've seen the same dentist for a number of years, twice a year at least and during this time my teeth have worsened. Most filled, a few crowned and 1 removed. He tends to leave me very tender and this week just gone was the final straw. He replaced a filling that had decayed and filed down a crown on a wisdom tooth that he never got to fit properly. Anyway it took 7 injections to numb me and this weeekend I suffered the worst pain ever. Didn't sleep much and by this morning I was frazzled. Phoned dentist and went to see the head guy. He said two things that made me question my previous service: I never had a correct X-ray of the last wisdom tooth, which meant he could never have seen the really bad decay that was much worse than the filling he did in the tooth in front and that his advice was never to crown a wisdom tooth. In fact my usual Dentist even came down to apologise. I'm not litigious and this is the UK, but I've spent a fortune over the last few years and feel I have never received the best advice and regularly been in pain! Thanks for any advice.

[jschmidtdmd]

I'm not going to speak to any of the work, but I will state that it shouldn't take you 7 injections to be numb.

JPS

[BristolCavendish]

Sounds like the advancing and neglected decay in/on the wisdom tooth eventually penetrated the pulp chamber and now you've got a necrotic/infected nerve.

Like any trade/profession, some dentists are better than others when it comes to diagnostics and treatment/repairs. Dentistry is a very mechanical profession (i.e. drilling, grinding, scraping, pulling etc.) and while some may call it an art, there are dentists who are seemingly closer to a three-fingered blacksmith and incapable of accurately interpreting patient pain/discomfiture. These are the kinds of dentists you want to avoid going anywhere near your teeth with an air-driven hand piece.

Board certifications often mean little as there are countless lawyers, doctors and hair-stylists who are also incredibly crappy at their professions.

Hopefully you'll get your dental issues squared away as quickly (and as painlessly) as possible. It might involve going to another dentist.

[Gecko10]

It normally takes two injections for me and at least 45 min to kick in. Once they kick in I am numb for hours.

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by BristolCavendish

Sounds like the advancing and neglected decay in/on the wisdom tooth eventually penetrated the pulp chamber and now you've got a necrotic/infected nerve.

Like any trade/profession, some dentists are better than others when it comes to diagnostics and treatment/repairs. Dentistry is a very mechanical profession (i.e. drilling, grinding, scraping, pulling etc.) and while some may call it an art, there are dentists who are seemingly closer to a three-fingered blacksmith and incapable of accurately interpreting patient pain/discomfiture. These are the kinds of dentists you want to avoid going anywhere near your teeth with an air-driven hand piece.

Board certifications often mean little as there are countless lawyers, doctors and hair-stylists who are also incredibly crappy at their professions.

Hopefully you'll get your dental issues squared away as quickly (and as painlessly) as possible. It might involve going to another dentist.

I am in the Hair Education business and you're exactly right BC. I will only see the main guy from now on in, but I'm wondering if I might have some redress for the huge sums I've paid recently?

[Pix]

What do you call the person that graduates last in their medical class ? Doctor:}

[Gecko10]

Not to make light of a bad situation, but Jay Leno was always making jokes about English dentistry.

[Gecko10]

Originally Posted by rootbeer7

I am in the Hair Education business and you're exactly right BC. I will only see the main guy from now on in, but I'm wondering if I might have some redress for the huge sums I've paid recently?

OK, I gotta ask, what in the woid is the "Hair education business?"

[BristolCavendish]

Originally Posted by rootbeer7

....I'm wondering if I might have some redress for the huge sums I've paid recently?

Speaking from personal experience, I once had a troublesome tooth (a rear molar) that was painful to bite on. Following a series of x-rays and a referral to an endodontic specialist, the tooth was diagnosed with a minor crack and my dentist put in a gold inlay to prevent the tooth from further fissure. The tooth continued to bother me and two years later, it abscessed resulting in a root canal and full crown. While there was no sign of any infection in the initial x-rays, the molar was a time bomb getting ready to go off as the bacteria inherent in saliva had slowly penetrated the enamel/dentin/pulp chamber.

My dentist felt bad about this incident and even though there wasn't any fault/blame relative to his earlier diagnostic (which was also confirmed by the endodontic office), he deducted the price that I had initially paid for the smaller gold inlay from the price of the new full gold crown. Being that both restorations had cost the same, it was a break-even case for me.

I've been told that this was an exception as most dentists will just continue to keep charging upwards for services rendered. If your dental services are part of a joint/partnered clinic, maybe you can discuss the fiscal aspects with your new dentist being that in your case, there actually was a misdiagnosis and subsequent treatment failure.

Here in the US, a root canal + restoration usually runs about $3K per tooth.

[texex91]

Originally Posted by rootbeer7

I'm not litigious and this is the UK, but I've spent a fortune over the last few years and feel I have never received the best advice and regularly been in pain! Thanks for any advice.

You should see what we pay in the US for 'insurance' that means nothing...then pay the tab on top of that.

Don't know what medicine (dental) looks like in UK (social or private?)

[Maybelline]

Unfortunately I think dentistry is just a business like any other. They are trying to turn a profit first and foremost. I think your health is secondary.

[Knappo 1307]

Isn't dentistry relatively new in the UK?

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by Maybelline

Unfortunately I think dentistry is just a business like any other. They are trying to turn a profit first and foremost. I think your health is secondary.

You should post more often, if only so I can laugh at your avatar more

[Runnin' Rebel]

My dentist wears a black Bay red and we always talk watches to take my mind off what's coming next. He's very patient with me if I need a shot of numbness, literally he has to go so slow his hands cramp up, that's how sensitive my mouth is and a needle

[BristolCavendish]

There once was a time (in the United States) when barbers routinely performed dentistry (primarily extractions). Dental training (if one actually wanted to be called a dentist or Dr.) was often procured by attending a trade school specializing in the field. It wasn't until the turn of the 20th century that the practice started to become legitimatized via college education and board certifications. It had something to do with the growing use of anesthesia, RXs for pain management and a better understanding of bacteriology. All of which can kill or seriously immobilize a dental patient.

The famous gunslinger Doc Holliday was a dentist back in the late 19th century and Casey Stengel attended dental trade school during the off-seasons when he wasn't playing MLB during the pre-WW1 era. Board certifications and a required college education also put a lot of old-time 'dentists' out of business.

It's a lucrative field if one has a good practice going. On the other hand, looking into people's mouths and drilling, grinding, scraping and yanking teeth could get to be a drag over a typical 35-40 year dental career. As a dentist gets older, his hands can also get shaky so it's sometimes a bit precarious if you happen to have one who's older than your grandparents. That's not to say that a young dentist is any better as some might be more inclined to run up the bill and from a practical/realistic standpoint, they have seen fewer optional treatment variables due to a shorter duration of practice.

[Maybelline]

Originally Posted by GB-man

You should post more often, if only so I can laugh at your avatar more

I'm too busy with everything to get my posts up.

[hugs]

Originally Posted by texex91

You should see what we pay in the US for 'insurance' that means nothing...then pay the tab on top of that.

Don't know what medicine (dental) looks like in UK (social or private?)

Well if we had the tax rates you paid over there we could pay for our own health care ten times over.

Swings and roundabouts.

[handsfull]

Originally Posted by Knappo 1307

Isn't dentistry relatively new in the UK?

LOL. You went there.

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by Gecko10

OK, I gotta ask, what in the woid is the "Hair education business?"

Referring to BC comment about qualifications not meaning much, I have two Hairdressing Academies. In the main there are unfortunately too few good places of learning in the U.K. and invariably students have all the qualifications and none of the skill.

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by handsfull

LOL. You went there.

It feels like it

[GSDLover]

Originally Posted by Maybelline

Unfortunately I think dentistry is just a business like any other. They are trying to turn a profit first and foremost. I think your health is secondary.

It is sad that you feel this way. Either your experiences with dentists have been bad or your life experiences have shaped your view of the world in such a negative way.
Most dentists I know (my field) do not operate this way. They are some of the most caring and professional people I deal with. I have been a dentist for 30 + years and I view my patients as friends and family members.
I feel sorry for you.

[cruise_bone]

Originally Posted by rootbeer7

Perhaps one of our dentist members can offer a bit of advice. I've seen the same dentist for a number of years, twice a year at least and during this time my teeth have worsened. Most filled, a few crowned and 1 removed. He tends to leave me very tender and this week just gone was the final straw. He replaced a filling that had decayed and filed down a crown on a wisdom tooth that he never got to fit properly. Anyway it took 7 injections to numb me and this weeekend I suffered the worst pain ever. Didn't sleep much and by this morning I was frazzled. Phoned dentist and went to see the head guy. He said two things that made me question my previous service: I never had a correct X-ray of the last wisdom tooth, which meant he could never have seen the really bad decay that was much worse than the filling he did in the tooth in front and that his advice was never to crown a wisdom tooth. In fact my usual Dentist even came down to apologise. I'm not litigious and this is the UK, but I've spent a fortune over the last few years and feel I have never received the best advice and regularly been in pain! Thanks for any advice.

I don't understand how the guy had remained your Dentist for so long?

I feel bad that you have suffered such poor medical advice and service from this Hack. Better luck finding a great Dentist.

[dmash]

Originally Posted by Knappo 1307

Isn't dentistry relatively new in the UK?

This was pretty good



OP- my wife is a dentist and she suggested you simply find another dentist at this point. It's impossible for her to know the underlying problems due to factors such as your age/state of your teeth/cleaning habits etc......but it seems you should have received a bit more improvement/better results than you're stating.

[codecow]

Look at online reviews and find a new dentist. I used to hate going to the dentist because I had one who literally failed for about 3 minutes to find the right injection site in the back of my jaw (while digging around with the needle). My eyes were watering so much I had stains on my shirt from it until she finally found it.

My current dentist has given me maybe 10 crowns and a couple fillings, zero pain.

[Demosthene]

He crowned a wisdom tooth instead of removing it!!!

[lapince]

Well if you feel like taking a few weeks off and coming to Odessa, Ukraine, I have an excellent dentist, prices are great, he is also, I did all my front teeth facets, not sure of the english term, he saws of a bit on the sides and front of teeth and puts ultra resistant porcelain, had micro cracks in my enamel and the inside were getting colored. Did it 5 years ago, in Paris last year went for a cleaning to a very famous dentist, he told me the guy's work and material quality is excellent.

Things like cavities and stuff are 20-30% less than France, but implants are 450 or 800USD, depending if you want Israel ones or german, bridges are 200, I have a friend coming this summer to do many things, the guy is way better than the french dentist I saw for years, he is one of the best in Odessa and it might seem strange but they have excellent ones there, he even sees some problems without any Xray, though he has that too. with the crisis there he lowered his prices, in France 1 implant is 2500-3000 euros, and health insurance gives you maybe 50-150 euros depending on which one you have.

In any case your dentist seems like a quack, time to change

[singe89]

Originally Posted by hugs

Well if we had the tax rates you paid over there we could pay for our own health care ten times over.

Swings and roundabouts.

There is the benefit of no state income tax in TX but property taxes can still get high.

The US just nickel and dimes you for everything so you don't even know what you're paying in taxes. CA is one of the worst. Can easily get up to paying 40% federal, 11-13+% state, then still have social security, medicare, property, Obama care sur tax, capital gains with additional 5%, county, vehicle, etc. and then still have to pay $2k+ a month out of pocket for healthcare. The effective rate will be lower but by the time you add everything up its significant.

As for dentists, they can be hard to find too. Find a good one and stick with him/her. I found mine 15 years ago. He isn't covered by my insurance (its crap anyway like Paul said) so i just pay out of pocket. He's a perfectionist and and a WIS so I trust him. haha.

[Maybelline]

Originally Posted by GSDLover

It is sad that you feel this way. Either your experiences with dentists have been bad or your life experiences have shaped your view of the world in such a negative way.
Most dentists I know (my field) do not operate this way. They are some of the most caring and professional people I deal with. I have been a dentist for 30 + years and I view my patients as friends and family members.
I feel sorry for you.

Why would you feel sorry for me? Because of what I said about dentistry?

How do you explain the op's situation?

My wife and I and lots of family members have had lots of problems with dentists. To me they care much more about the money than their patients health and yes I am generalizing but we have nothing else to go by other than what we have experienced.

Also there is a reason that as a whole dentistry is one of the least trusted professions. Look it up for yourself if you don't believe me.

[lapince]

Originally Posted by texex91

You should see what we pay in the US for 'insurance' that means nothing...then pay the tab on top of that.

Don't know what medicine (dental) looks like in UK (social or private?)

I know a guy who was billed 14k for a few hours in the ER, an Xray, blood test and a consultation, that is totally insane, maybe it's because of the huge insurances doctors need to pay because of Americans' habit of suing all the time for the slightest excuse. In any case in the US it is just crazy, 14k for almost nothing, totally nuts

[lapince]

Originally Posted by hugs

Well if we had the tax rates you paid over there we could pay for our own health care ten times over.

Swings and roundabouts.

UK? Try France, my dad retired once he calculated that 86% of the money he was making went to different taxes, income, property, VAT, etc, he was an engineer so calculated to the slightest tax, on food, gas, every single one.
Why do I live in Ukraine? Because of forced immigration in France to keep wages low and all that comes with it, and huge taxes, none of either in Ukraine, oh and you feel much more free there...