Irate doesn't begin to describe me right now (tooth related)

[warcraftbaby]

A few years ago I needed to go to the dentist. A new one opened up that would take my insurance so I went to her. She was supposed to have this fancy state-of-the art new clinic with all the bells and whistles. So at this checkup she says that 3 of my teeth are so bad they need to be removed or I could get root canals+crowns. She said that crowns were just a cap they put over the old tooth to keep it from falling apart when the root is removed. That sounded a lot better than taking out my whole tooth, especially since these were my top FRONT teeth. So I survived the triple root canal at an oral surgeon and went back to her to get my teeth shaped and fitted for crowns. Got temporaries until my crowns came in, then had those put on. I didn't like the permanents when they came in, because they looked much more yellow than my real teeth, but o well I wanted teeth!

Less than a month later my hubby and I were leaving for lunch with my parents, I was laughing, one of the crowns just fell off in my mouth. Went back to the dentist, she glued it back on.

Couple months after that, I'm sitting at my computer playing WoW, I go to take a drink and out of my mouth falls the same darn crown! Go back to dentist, she says the real tooth inside crumbled so they need to put in a post. This was supposed to be a permanent fix for the tooth. Of course it was supposed to be permanent in the first place, that's what she told me.

Tonite I am sitting here, gleefully awaiting midnite for my HyVee ads, I go to take a drink of my water, and BEHOLD out falls that mother flippin crown! ^#$#T$(*&^@#*& WARCRAFTBABY SMASH!

My hubby is laid off, I can't exactly afford a lump sum right now for this to get reattached. And I am NOT going back to her, NO WAY. But I don't think another dentist will touch this, I've heard dentists won't touch other dentist's work. But tomorrow I guess I'll call around and see who will take payments from us, otherwise I have a giant toothless hole in my darn mouth that you can see just when I talk AAAAAH. I want to vomit and scream (but I won't do them at the same time, choking hazard ya know)

I have no idea how it stayed in as long as it did. The bare metal inside the fake tooth stuff was actually exposed in the back this whole time, and my gum back there is bleeding and raw from it. The post is just some plastic piece sticking out of the metal, that I think goes in this hole that's in this piece in my head.

She told me I could eat like normal with crowns, but I didn't listen to that. I didn't eat caramel or taffy or anything like that, I avoided hard things as well, and I don't even eat foods I have to bite into like corn on the cob or apples. I slice those things up so all I have to do is chew. But yet my tooth falls out.

There. I'm done. Had to get it out somewhere or I was going to run screaming thru the streets. Thanks for listening

[CW&M Mom]

I have 3 top front teeth crowned. #9 #10 and #7 to be specific.

and I have never had the crowns fall off and I eat whatever I want.

I would be super ticked..and I hate how much dental care costs...especially crowns..and that they seem to have no guarantee's.

You must live reasonably near by...as we have the same stores near by (even the Country Market)....there is a dental clinic in Kansas City...that charges you on a sliding scale...and it's possible even without any insurance to not be charged anything.

PM me if you want the exact name and location and I'll look it up for you.

[meggers]

I'm so sorry, girl. Do you have a dental school or University hospital near you. I know that seems a little scary, but frankly, I think students are more careful than high-paid pros.

Why is it that if we get anything else fixed, it comes with a guarantee, but let a doctor or dentist mess something up & they expect us to just keep forking over money?

[CW&M Mom]

Originally Posted by meggers I'm so sorry, girl. Do you have a dental school or University hospital near you. I know that seems a little scary, but frankly, I think students are more careful than high-paid pros. Why is it that if we get anything else fixed, it comes with a guarantee, but let a doctor or dentist mess something up & they expect us to just keep forking over money?

Dentist junk is even worse because you max out your insurance so quickly...3 crowns you would have no more insurance for the year anyways.

[Colinsgrandma]

I went to a dentist for two years who I ended up calling in a not so loving way the dentist from hell. One year later and a different dentist is still repairing dentist from hells work. Get out while you can and cut your losses.

[justmeagain]

I too have crowns and have NEVER had them just fall out. Not only would I HOT, but I seriously demand back all the money they got from both from you and insurance. Take that money and find another dentist. Tell them it is either a refund or you will see them in court! That is bull. I have never eaten anything different than when I didn't have crowns.

[aurorahorse]

I had that happen to me!!!

In Chesapeake, VA, I went to this dentist under a discount dental plan. I had this one tooth I had ignored for years because of no insurance, so there was a huge hole in its crown...which turned out to be a temporary crown from 10 years or so earlier. He advised root canal. I had to go to specialist for that, because of difficulty numbing me. That cost about $550. The dentist then built it up and put a crown on it. That was another $500 or so. Thought I was done.

WRONG. I moved to NC soon afterwards. I was eating one day...and THE WHOLE TOOTH FELL OUT!!! Well, except for the roots and some above it. You want to talk about FREAKY?!!

It didn't hurt, thankfully....the root canal had taken care of that.

This was Easter weekend. I called a dentist that had emergency hours (my current one did not ) and went in Monday a.m. We couldn't save the tooth, obviously. Best I can gather, the dentist should have just had the tooth pulled....there was really NOTHING to put that crown on. I knew there was just a small piece sticking up, but he built up around it and silly me thought that was good enough, since he didn't advise otherwise.:shrug7:

I soooo wanted to call or write and go after him, but I figured not much good living across state lines.

Anyway, I feel your pain! G'luck!

[warcraftbaby]

Originally Posted by aurorahorse I had that happen to me!!! In Chesapeake, VA, I went to this dentist under a discount dental plan. I had this one tooth I had ignored for years because of no insurance, so there was a huge hole in its crown...which turned out to be a temporary crown from 10 years or so earlier. He advised root canal. I had to go to specialist for that, because of difficulty numbing me. That cost about $550. The dentist then built it up and put a crown on it. That was another $500 or so. Thought I was done. WRONG. I moved to NC soon afterwards. I was eating one day...and THE WHOLE TOOTH FELL OUT!!! Well, except for the roots and some above it. You want to talk about FREAKY?!! It didn't hurt, thankfully....the root canal had taken care of that. This was Easter weekend. I called a dentist that had emergency hours (my current one did not ) and went in Monday a.m. We couldn't save the tooth, obviously. Best I can gather, the dentist should have just had the tooth pulled....there was really NOTHING to put that crown on. I knew there was just a small piece sticking up, but he built up around it and silly me thought that was good enough, since he didn't advise otherwise.:shrug7: I soooo wanted to call or write and go after him, but I figured not much good living across state lines. Anyway, I feel your pain! G'luck!

What did you have done after you had the tooth pulled? If this had been a back tooth I would've told her to just pull the sucker to begin with. But I didn't really understand what crowns were and I thought they would be better than those false permanents they screw into your gums. I want to have one of those put in but I doubt I can afford that no matter what I do. Something has to be done because this is a front tooth and you can see the tooth is missing when I talk or smile or anything. I'm gonna be stuck like this for weeks probably until I can get finances+find a dentist to fix it.

I live in IA Corismom. KS is a bit far for me, but we do have a dental school up in IA city. If I can't find anything affordable locally I'll go there, but they are impossible to get into because I think everyone goes there now instead of the "real" dentists because all the "real" ones are full of fail! I have switched so many times for bad fillings that fell out, missing cavities that the new dentist could see like a blinking sign, etc. The one that did the crown got a reputation not too shortly after my ordeal as "Dr. Bimbo" because apparently she screwed up work on a lot of people and now we're all pretty sure she has no idea what she's doing and we have no idea how she passed dental school

[warcraftbaby]

O did I mention my phone is out this morning so I have to wait on that too before I can start calling people about this? My life is just lovely right now I tells ya lol.

[wealthybarney]

I am so very sorry to hear this Warcraftbaby.
Did you know you can go to the Dental Board of Licensing, and put a complaint on her license to practice?

You'll get your money back to go to another Dentist.
This may be your only option.
You could also call the Board, get info, not make the complaint,
then call her to negotiate, have a witness on the same line,
& document verbatim what she says.

She neither wants a lawsuit(since your DH is laid off, you can't afford one either),
NOR does she want a permanent complaint on her license.
These are NEVER removed.

These are your bargaining chips.
You can use them by being proactive and turning this around,
refusing to be a victim of malpractice,
which is what this is.
EVERYTHING is negotiable. Especially when they know you mean business.