{"id":116,"date":"2007-10-13T18:00:07","date_gmt":"2007-10-14T01:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mynewsmile.com\/blog\/?p=116"},"modified":"2016-01-07T10:42:01","modified_gmt":"2016-01-07T17:42:01","slug":"a-lumineers-story-gone-bad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mynewsmile.com\/blog\/a-lumineers-story-gone-bad\/","title":{"rendered":"A Lumineers story gone bad"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Hall,
\nIn July 2006 I got six lumineers to close the space between my two top front teeth. In September 2007 my dentist informed me that I have more than 50% bone loss in four of the teeth and that I will need to have them replaced with dental implants<\/a> at a cost of $2,700 each. He is only willing to give me credit of $1,500 and that’s only if I let him do the procedure. The lumineers cost $720 each. My question is should my dentist have taken x-rays of my teeth prior to preforming this procedure to determine it this was appropriate as my last x-rays were done in 2003, and what recourse do I have If he was negligent. I faithfully, four times a year have periodontal maintenance, I don’t know how this was missed.<\/p>\n

Thank you for you time.
\n– Lenore from Pennsylvania<\/p>\n

Dear Lenore,
\nI’m known for being direct, so here goes. Yes, your dentist was definitely negligent. He missed the diagnosis because he neglected to perform a basic diagnostic procedure–taking xrays of the teeth on which\u00a0he is doing major work. And he is admitting to you that he screwed up because he is telling you, a year later, that these teeth are in such bad shape that they are hopeless–they have to be extracted. And then to offer only $1500 credit toward an $11,000 follow-up procedure–he would still be making good money on the implants.<\/p>\n

Here’s what I think you should do:
\nDemand a full refund for the Lumineers<\/a>. Tell him that if he doesn’t cooperate, you will get a lawyer. Then go to another dentist for any further work. You will be being kind, because if you go directly to the lawyer, you will get more than a complete refund. You are in a very strong position on this.<\/p>\n

And if he doesn’t cooperate, follow through with your threat and get a lawyer.<\/p>\n

What you have told me causes me to question everything this dentist is telling you. I wouldn’t assume that the teeth have to be extracted. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. But don’t have this dentist do the implants.<\/p>\n

I believe that dentistry is one of the most ethical professions there is.\u00a0Most dentists\u00a0are in it for the love of helping people, and they bend over backwards\u00a0for the patient. But I am not impressed with the ethics of this one. It is one thing to screw up. We have all screwed up. But to screw up and then to want to continue to make profits from your screw-up–that’s unacceptable. In my opinion, when he discovered he screwed up, he should have offered a complete refund and then go on to fix the problem.<\/p>\n

– Dr. Hall<\/p>\n

Read a post about another problem with Lumineers<\/a>, only this dentist is fixing it for free, which is the decent thing to do.<\/p>\n

Related pages in www.mynewsmile.com:
\nRead more about gum disease<\/a>
\nWhat makes a cosmetic dentist<\/a> different from a general dentist
\nDental implants<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
\nWe thank our advertisers who help fund this site.<\/font>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n