Dr. Hall,
I had an abscessed molar and my dentist took the crown off from a previous root canal and performed another root canal. Once this was completed I had an on-going infection for about a month. I then had to go to an oral s! urgeon who was able to get rid of the infection but told me to not have a crown put on for several months to make sure the tooth didn’t need to be extracted. It’s now been several months and I still have some issues with the tooth. I’ve decided that if it gets bad again I will have it extracted. My dentist had already submitted and had a crown made for the moler from my initial visit and I had paid for that service. I’ve asked for a refund since I will not get that crown put on and they are refusing. Is there no way to get any of my money back for this? I understand there should be some money not returned for me for the actual lab work performed but no partial refund?
– Kristin in Kentucky
Kristin,
It sounds to me like you are being very reasonable and polite with your request. I don’t think I’d be so polite, and let me explain why.
It is wise not to put a dental crown on a tooth after a root canal treatment until the dentist knows that the root canal treatment is successful. A certain percentage of root canal treatments will fail. In dental school, we had to wait six months before putting a crown on a tooth that just had a root canal. I doubt that most dentists in private practice wait that long, but the principle is the same – there is an element of doubt as to whether the tooth will make it or not.
Now, I think it is fair to give your dentist the benefit of the doubt when his root canal treatment failed. Sometimes they fail in spite of everything a dentist can do. Maybe he screwed up on that, maybe he didn’t. Give him the benefit of the doubt there. But I think it’s fair to hold him responsible for using poor judgment in having a crown made for a tooth that didn’t have a chance to heal yet from a root canal treatment. He should have known he was taking a risk, and I think you should get a complete refund, including the laboratory fee. I think you’re in a strong position on this matter. Tell him that if they don’t, you’ll take it up with a court of law, and then make good on that threat if they don’t comply. You won’t necessarily need a malpractice attorney – you may be able to get satisfaction in small claims court. And you could take this e-mail as evidence, or use the blog posting once it is up. Though I think you’d be better off with an attorney.
And save the extracted tooth as evidence until you get your money back.
– 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.
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