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Dr. Hall,
I got a lower rear tooth extraction at the oral surgeon’s today, and it was a difficult one. Near the end, I experienced a sudden huge pain under my tongue. Then I noticed lots of stitches happening in an area not near my tooth, so I suspected something had occurred. However, the surgeon mentioned nothing after the surgery, and I was in such pain I let it go.
Later, I noticed I did in fact have a huge cut under my tongue, complete with 6 stitches and some had already fallen out. I called the office, and to make a long story short, apparently the surgeon DID tell me what happened before I left–but he explained it as “you had a soft tissue tear and I stitched it up.” On the phone, the dental assistant did allude to the fact that I got the tissue under my tongue drilled.
I am angry that this professional took zero responsibility for his mistake, which I know everyone has. I can forgive his mistake. I cannot forgive his arrogant and borderline dishonest explanation. I want this man to accept and admit his mistake and apologize for covering it up. Failing that, I will report him to the peer review board or dental board in my state. I would never dream of suing because someone made a mistake, but I feel strongly that he needs to own up to that mistake. Does this manner of recourse sound reasonable to you?
– Jana from Ohio
Dear Jana,
I think you’ve sized up the situation correctly. Yes, he was careless and cut the tissue under your tongue with his drill. It sounds like it was a really nasty one, too, if it required six sutures. Mistakes like that can happen even in the best of circumstances, and it sounds like he addressed it as he needed to. But his attitude makes you angry. The way he presented it to you reveals his attitude: “You had a soft tissue tear,” as if it’s an act of nature, rather than, “I accidentally cut your tongue.”
The tongue, in its resting position, sits partly over those lower molars, and it can be very easy to injure the tongue when working on those teeth. During surgery, the surgeon should have his or her assistant keep a metal retractor between the surgical field and the tongue, and this will prevent accidents like this. So I’m guessing he was careless in this. He should be embarrassed, and it’s a shame he doesn’t act like it.
You can report him to peer review or the dental board, but I doubt anything will come of it. I don’t remember ever hearing that a dentist was disciplined for rudeness. The peer review committee will likely view it as you have–a mistake that, while regretful, was properly addressed clinically. Though if this is a pattern with this dentist and a number of complaints like this go into his file, it could cause him some problems down the road.
I don’t believe suing would be an option. I don’t believe that an accident like this breaches the standard of care, as long as the accident is treated properly.
I’m sorry for what you had to suffer.
– Dr. Hall
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.