What Can I Do Now?. Runaway Dentist

[Clipper965]

What is the name of your state? Florida

2 months ago I paid a dentist $4000 for several crowns and a partial denture. I was the last patient he worked on before selling his practice and leaving the state. Recently one of the crowns that the partial attaches to came off. This crown is about 7 weeks old. I went back and the new dentist who owns the practice said there is decay under the crown and he feels the crown and post needs to be redone. He says that if this is done it is likely the Partial will not fit. The Partial was $1000. The new dentist said he discussed with the first dentist the possibility of patients coming back due to defective treatment and they agreed that is such a case should arise he would return to do the work himself or make arrangements to have another dentist repair the work. So far the new Dentist says that Dentist #1 is in another state and he keeps leaving him messages but gets no reply. What can I do?

 

[sallysez]

Hi, If your former dentist doesn't contact you and no arrangements are made to correct it for free, I would contact your local dental society and file a complaint. The complaint will go before a panel, if they deem the treatment from the first dentist was substandard, they will seek reimbursement from him to correct it. I posted a thread called "Dentist Haphazardly Grinded Teeth" on pg 2 and am going through this process. Contact "Your county" Dental Society.

 

[Clipper965]

But

They can still do this even if he is another state?. My understanding is he has retired and is no longer practicing dentistry

Hi, If your former dentist doesn't contact you and no arrangements are made to correct it for free, I would contact your local dental society and file a complaint. The complaint will go before a panel, if they deem the treatment from the first dentist was substandard, they will seek reimbursement from him to correct it. I posted a thread called "Dentist Haphazardly Grinded Teeth" on pg 2 and am going through this process. Contact "Your county" Dental Society.

 

[sallysez]

Hi again, Gosh, good question. I would think that if your dentist was licensed in your state at the time of your treatment, that you would be able to have recourse with your county dental society. I sure hope they would, as the dentist who did mine is in his 70's and could be near retirement too!...If you read my post (I'm a consumer, not a lawyer)..I talked to an attorney who thought the case too small to warrent a lawsuit. Then I thought of small claims court to find I would need another dentist to state that this dentist did something wrong..and finding a dentist to take off time from work to go to court, much less speak against another dentist..well, could be trying to find. (the dental society agreed it would be hard to prove in small claims court).

My understanding is that the dental society is a panel of ex/retired dentists that review the complaint, and if they deem that the treatment was substandard, they can enforce the dentist to pay the cost of correcting it. I sure hope that is right,I'll be seeing a total of 5-6 dentists for opinions on the best way to correct my problem, & costs to determine also if mine would warrent a lawsuit. (Also, I asked the dental society if I should now file a complaint with the CA dental board, and they said not yet, as the complaint would just be referred to the local dental society. The dental society here were very helpful and friendly (just give them a call). I truly hope they are fair and impartial to the consumer.

 

[sallysez]

PS...I would get further advice from 1-2 other dentists. I've found there are some unethical dentists out there (one dentist i saw 12 years ago recommended I have 4 teeth pulled & replaced with implants, i still have these teeth w/ no problems). Another recent where the dentist over-grinded my top 4 front incisors either mistakenly or purposely to sell veneers. Who knows, you may not have decay under that tooth at all?

 

[sallysez]

PSS....I'm unsure that any reimbursement from your previous dentist (if ordered by the dental society) comes out of his pocket or if his malpractice insurance will pay it. If he was a licensed dentist & had malpractice insurance on the date of your treatment should be no problem if malpractice pays these type of claims.

 

[Clipper965]

On-Going Saga



This has been a long saga for me. If you search for all my Clipper965 posts you will learn I had all my teeth root canalled and crowned from 1996-99 by a dental clinic/HMO. In Late 2000 my upper teeth began to experience problems. In 2001 I went to my new dentist for a check up and my upper mouth was a mess. Almost all the upper crowns were badly done. Last May the new dentist had to rip out thousands of dollars in crowns because the teeth rotted away to their roots under the crowns. I considered legal action against the dental clinic/HMO that did the crowns from 1996-99 but I was told by an attorney that the staute of limitations had lapsed and I could do nothing. Even if I could of, like you, getting an attorney to take the case for the little damages it could have produced would have not worthwhile for any of these ambulance chasers. I wonder if the Dental Society could do anything for me on this problems. I never heard of them before you told me. These last few years have been a depressing odyessy of crooked and incompedent dentists doing shoddy work and draining my bank account !

Hi again, Gosh, good question. I would think that if your dentist was licensed in your state at the time of your treatment, that you would be able to have recourse with your county dental society. I sure hope they would, as the dentist who did mine is in his 70's and could be near retirement too!...If you read my post (I'm a consumer, not a lawyer)..I talked to an attorney who thought the case too small to warrent a lawsuit. Then I thought of small claims court to find I would need another dentist to state that this dentist did something wrong..and finding a dentist to take off time from work to go to court, much less speak against another dentist..well, could be trying to find. (the dental society agreed it would be hard to prove in small claims court).

My understanding is that the dental society is a panel of ex/retired dentists that review the complaint, and if they deem that the treatment was substandard, they can enforce the dentist to pay the cost of correcting it. I sure hope that is right,I'll be seeing a total of 5-6 dentists for opinions on the best way to correct my problem, & costs to determine also if mine would warrent a lawsuit. (Also, I asked the dental society if I should now file a complaint with the CA dental board, and they said not yet, as the complaint would just be referred to the local dental society. The dental society here were very helpful and friendly (just give them a call). I truly hope they are fair and impartial to the consumer.

 

[sallysez]

I know what you mean. I recently cancelled an HMO dental insurance for similar reasons. Hopefully Barry (attorney) will see your thread and respond. Since my good dentist died 3 yrs ago I've had a heck of a time finding a good dentist, I think I finally found one though. Just keep looking!

 

[sallysez]

PS...We would of been better off for a potential large lawsuit if the dentist had only groped us rather than messing up our teeth! Darn!!! Also I'm praying that the Dental Society isn't similar to the "Mens Society" on the Stepford Wives Afterall, they do watch out for each other and if a dentist dare say another dentist did wrong, he may end up being sued by the dentist. I still wonder why 3 dentists highly recommended the periodontist who messed up my teeth...More work for them? (i think paranoia may be setting in)!!! We could write a Stephen King Novel on this one..What do you think?

 

[sallysez]

PSS..Then again, if all else fails we can move to Hayfork...I heard that no-one has teeth there. At least with my new snaggle trailer-trash teeth I may end up looking better than all the rest??? It's affordable there though it's out in the boonies, no good water, nothing to do but compare our teeth & whistle if we still can. Think about it Good Luck!

 

[Clipper965]

Costa Rica

I regret years ago not following advice given by a friend and not flying to Costa Rica and having them fixed. In Costa Rica, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, you can have a root canal and a crown in a modern dental office for only $150 each. Now I have no rear upper teeth I can go to Costa Rica and have impants for $350 each. Here they are like $2000. All this done in a private dentist office in a ritzy area of San Jose. Cosmetic surgery is a similar bargain. My sister's pal goes to Thailand once a year and had a major face lift for $2000 and the quality of the care is "BEVERLY HILLS" she says.

 

[sallysez]

Hey, Good Idea!...At least if the dentists in Costa Rica or Mexico screw up our teeth we won't be out too much $, though we wouldn't be able to sue them either, but it seems improbable to sue a dentist here either..and who would want to be involved in all that legal mess anyway. I'm game for an extreme makeover!..If you find a good dentist & plastic surgeon in Costa Rica, let me know!..or a dentist in Mexico (not too far from here). I'm sorry about your teeth, I know I'll be headed to needing at least one implant within 5 yrs..all when my finances aren't what they used to be. I also heard that they have good rates at the Dental Colleges?

 

[Clipper965]

Etal

Don't know about Dental Colleges. A word to the wise. Web sites in Costa Rica advertise all the time. Their rates are a lot higher than real world prices down there. Buenos Aires, Argentina, seems less pricey than Costa Rica but the plane ride there is pure hell. 14 hours I think. My sister's friend often extols the wonders of Bangkok. She goes there every year for checkups and had her teeth fixed there, plastic surgery like face lifts and such for a fraction what it costs here, always in a modern medical facility and the quality she says is "BEVERLY HILLS". Look around the web for a general idea, but always remember web prices are always much higher than real world.

Hey, Good Idea!...At least if the dentists in Costa Rica or Mexico screw up our teeth we won't be out too much $, though we wouldn't be able to sue them either, but it seems improbable to sue a dentist here either..and who would want to be involved in all that legal mess anyway. I'm game for an extreme makeover!..If you find a good dentist & plastic surgeon in Costa Rica, let me know!..or a dentist in Mexico (not too far from here). I'm sorry about your teeth, I know I'll be headed to needing at least one implant within 5 yrs..all when my finances aren't what they used to be. I also heard that they have good rates at the Dental Colleges?

 

[sallysez]

Thanks for the info. Also I forgot to note that the Dental Society takes complaints up to one year. I'll be seeing 2 more dentists/orthodontist next week, then filing my complaint. Though I talked to someone yesterday who said my periodontist is one of the top in his field in the nation. I sure hope the board will be impartial as he really did mess up my teeth. Good Luck to you too.

 

[Clipper965]

Thanks

Keep this thread posted and I ll post how mine works out. This should be useful to anyone in similar dire straits.