What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Alabama
I APPRECIATE YOUR TOLERANCE & PATIENCE FOR THIS LONG POST THAT IS NECESSARY FOR UNDERSTANDING MY PREDICAMENT
In August of 2003 I was told by my dentist that I would have to see a specialist. I initially went in because an implant I had was hurting terribly, the gum was almost to the bone with the screw showing.
I had been to the dentist many times because of tooth pain and his answer to the problem was my "bite". I stopped seeing him for a time because of this
He referred me to a specialist that told me it would cost between $10K-15K to fix my teeth. Money up front. I simply do not have that kind of money.
I went to a second specialist and was told the same. I was left to suffer.
I continued for months to write dentists on the Internet explaining my situation. BCBS covers only $1K and limited.
In Nov., after 3 mos. of intolerable agony, I thought a miracle happened. I contacted a dentist near my town. He said all the other dentists were just trying to do work that was more cosmetic than anything else. He said " you want to be out of pain, be able to eat properly and smile". I though I was in heaven and so excited to hear something that sounded so wonderful and reasonable .... Little Did I Know.
I really did not have "bad" teeth, but inherited soft teeth. My new dentist began work and did 2 root canals. Still, severe pain, returning for weeks. He could not understand this and pulled one of the root canals. Pain continued. $$$ wasted.
He wanted me to go to an oral surgeon, fearing a bone disease. Two OSs said it was my root canal. My dentist said "let them pull it". I was angry at his statement.
I could stand the pain no longer and had another dentist to pull the tooth and that dentist said he thought the root may have been fractured.
I wrote a strong 5 page letter to my new dentist & felt the situaiton resolved. He also was the assistant pastor at a large chruch, apparently a very religious man. False security?.
Well, I remained in pain and he told me that I had a bony ridge that was causing the pain and he said he would do surgery on it free. He operated, found a broken part of my jaw bone, denied his involvement.
My insurance was used up and I was out several $1,000 in 6 weeks.
He did two other root canals as part of a treatment plan. I was back in pain!!! Then more. It was just like mining my teeth.
Many ER visits since treatment. I was confused, dumbfounded and did not want to consider myself a naive person.
I started questioning things very soon after he would not return my emergeny calls at his home or office. I have never had a doctor or dentist to not return my calls.
Jan.-Feb. 2004 exhaused my Insurance and more $ spent. Heart-sick, continued pain . It seemed I could not get help anywhere. I sought more opinions but Dentists did not want to work on my "in process" procedures.
Finally, a break. I remembered an older dentist that had taken care of some of my relatives through the years. I'll call him Dr. J (to elimanate confusion) I actually tried for an appointment with him seveal times in August and Sept. of 2003, but appointment availability was weeks away because he was busy and had trips to make. Since I was in pain, I had to do something. But, I called and explained my situation. He said to come in on my way to work the next day.
The next day I drove to Dr. J's office and he stopped what he was doing, had multiple X-rays done and came in to see me with a look of disgust on his face. In a stern voice he said "I can see why you are in such terrible pain ... You tell that dentist to refund your money and give you extra for the expense you've gone through and will go through"! My jaw dropped. He said just the 4 root canals he saw that two were incomplete with nerve still in them and two of them the dentist had drilled through the end of my root and had dental material extending past the root into my jaw. I was absolutely shocked and dazed and angry and my emotions were going haywire.
Dr. J looked at my other teeth and said my gosh! Did you pay for all of this? He then waked out a few minutes and came back and in a more stern voice said I have consulted with a specialist and he agrees ... the work is terrible. I'm going to give you some anitbiotics and pain medication. You contact your dentist and let me know what he says. Dr. J also said that he would not work on my teeth (root canals and such) because he does not do that.
I asked how much I owed him. He said absolutely nothing!! You've gone though too much. Just get with your dentist and get your money back. I had been through so much and was very greatful for his kindness.
I must have a verification of what Dr. J told me or my dentist could say it was "one man's opinion". I decided to go to the source. I went to the School of Dentistry at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. UAB more than confirmed ... said all the work my dentist had done was "CLINICALLY UNACCEPTABLE". I had more root canals that the root had been breached and more teeth they found had incomplete root canals.
From Mar.-Jul. this year, making many 350 mi. round trips, UAB had to do repair surgery, extractions and rework root canals. Finances exhausted, UAB cannot continue work until I pay the current, almost $1K balance. As of this writing, my root canals not finalized. My teeth brittle, chipping and difficult to eat. Bite my lips. I feel like I am at the mercy of the world.
OK. I contacted an attorney and found that my dentist had been sued by them several times for sexual harrassment. A month later, they said they can't take my case because they are not expereinced in Malpractice and would try to find an attorney for me ... that I certainly had a good case.
I received a letter saying they were sorry, they could not find a Dental Malpractice attorney.
I contacted another Attorney. He said I had a good case, a good venue, but the money was not great enough and even Medical Malpractice was tough. I may break even. Therefore, thier expenses would be too great. I walked out feeling depressed, tired and whipped. And "you'll be wasting your time trying to get your dentist to refund your money.
Is there no Justice?
I contacted BCBS and asked if they could take back any insurance money paid to my dentist and reinstate my insurance for the year. I was so ticked off at them. They said they pay the dentists based on service, not quality of service. If you had your car painted and the painter used house paint, the paint flaked off the next week ... you'd be out of luck because the service was performed, regardless of the quality.
I will have to have an attorney take the case on contingency. I am not greedy. All I want is the money paid out, so I can get my teeth fixed. I am having to pay for it twice, not to mention agony in the process, time off from work, time spent making contacts, writing, asking for suggestions.
I told BCBS that I could stage an accident and break my teeth and it would be covered under medical. Ha! I think BCBS though I was serious because I was so upset over their policy of service performed, not the quality.
My case was even strengthened because uncannily, I ran across a former employee of my dentist. She said she quit because she knew he was performing shoddy service. I found (if true) that because of former suits against him, that he does not have insurance for his practice per se. He is insured through his wife. Also, because of the kindness of Dr. J, I sent my wife to him and he told her he knew my dentist had been sued before for sexual harrassment. So something is very, very wrong here.
Surely, there must be help for someone in my position or others will be taken advantage of by my dentist.
So, desperate, I have one more attorney that someone said may help, but I have lost confidence that anyone today wants to help you unless you can "show them the money" . All I want is to be free of pain, to smile again, to eat normally. Now my bite, is really off and my gums are sore from having to eat food on them. I cannot express my nightmare in the text alloted for this post and have had to edit it.
But, I feel I am a survivor and that I am blessed and that there is always some in a worse situation than I. I must have faith and believe that this will work out for me in the end.
In conclusion, my dentist must all along have been responsible for all of my continued pain. I remember never seeing him take an X-ray to see if the depth of the root canals were correct. UAB Endodontics took 3 X-rays for each root canal they reworked. I believe that my dentist actually did break the bone in my jaw. I also believe he did fracture my tooth that had to be extracted after he performed a root canal, I rember feeling like it was going to burst when he kept filing the nerve out of it. But those are over and done and I don't think proveable. But I do know I have proof of those teeth remaining that he worked on that were Clinically Unacceptable. I will never forget this the rest of my life. I sadly will be less trusting of any new "professional" in the future. It has had a definite impact on my life.
I apprecaite the time you've taken to read this. I appreciate having somewhere to go if only to vent. And, I appreciate any ansewers and hope I may get from this post.
Thank you very,very much for listening,
Jeff
My email address is: [email protected]
I APPRECIATE YOUR TOLERANCE & PATIENCE FOR THIS LONG POST THAT IS NECESSARY FOR UNDERSTANDING MY PREDICAMENT
In August of 2003 I was told by my dentist that I would have to see a specialist. I initially went in because an implant I had was hurting terribly, the gum was almost to the bone with the screw showing.
I had been to the dentist many times because of tooth pain and his answer to the problem was my "bite". I stopped seeing him for a time because of this
He referred me to a specialist that told me it would cost between $10K-15K to fix my teeth. Money up front. I simply do not have that kind of money.
I went to a second specialist and was told the same. I was left to suffer.
I continued for months to write dentists on the Internet explaining my situation. BCBS covers only $1K and limited.
In Nov., after 3 mos. of intolerable agony, I thought a miracle happened. I contacted a dentist near my town. He said all the other dentists were just trying to do work that was more cosmetic than anything else. He said " you want to be out of pain, be able to eat properly and smile". I though I was in heaven and so excited to hear something that sounded so wonderful and reasonable .... Little Did I Know.
I really did not have "bad" teeth, but inherited soft teeth. My new dentist began work and did 2 root canals. Still, severe pain, returning for weeks. He could not understand this and pulled one of the root canals. Pain continued. $$$ wasted.
He wanted me to go to an oral surgeon, fearing a bone disease. Two OSs said it was my root canal. My dentist said "let them pull it". I was angry at his statement.
I could stand the pain no longer and had another dentist to pull the tooth and that dentist said he thought the root may have been fractured.
I wrote a strong 5 page letter to my new dentist & felt the situaiton resolved. He also was the assistant pastor at a large chruch, apparently a very religious man. False security?.
Well, I remained in pain and he told me that I had a bony ridge that was causing the pain and he said he would do surgery on it free. He operated, found a broken part of my jaw bone, denied his involvement.
My insurance was used up and I was out several $1,000 in 6 weeks.
He did two other root canals as part of a treatment plan. I was back in pain!!! Then more. It was just like mining my teeth.
Many ER visits since treatment. I was confused, dumbfounded and did not want to consider myself a naive person.
I started questioning things very soon after he would not return my emergeny calls at his home or office. I have never had a doctor or dentist to not return my calls.
Jan.-Feb. 2004 exhaused my Insurance and more $ spent. Heart-sick, continued pain . It seemed I could not get help anywhere. I sought more opinions but Dentists did not want to work on my "in process" procedures.
Finally, a break. I remembered an older dentist that had taken care of some of my relatives through the years. I'll call him Dr. J (to elimanate confusion) I actually tried for an appointment with him seveal times in August and Sept. of 2003, but appointment availability was weeks away because he was busy and had trips to make. Since I was in pain, I had to do something. But, I called and explained my situation. He said to come in on my way to work the next day.
The next day I drove to Dr. J's office and he stopped what he was doing, had multiple X-rays done and came in to see me with a look of disgust on his face. In a stern voice he said "I can see why you are in such terrible pain ... You tell that dentist to refund your money and give you extra for the expense you've gone through and will go through"! My jaw dropped. He said just the 4 root canals he saw that two were incomplete with nerve still in them and two of them the dentist had drilled through the end of my root and had dental material extending past the root into my jaw. I was absolutely shocked and dazed and angry and my emotions were going haywire.
Dr. J looked at my other teeth and said my gosh! Did you pay for all of this? He then waked out a few minutes and came back and in a more stern voice said I have consulted with a specialist and he agrees ... the work is terrible. I'm going to give you some anitbiotics and pain medication. You contact your dentist and let me know what he says. Dr. J also said that he would not work on my teeth (root canals and such) because he does not do that.
I asked how much I owed him. He said absolutely nothing!! You've gone though too much. Just get with your dentist and get your money back. I had been through so much and was very greatful for his kindness.
I must have a verification of what Dr. J told me or my dentist could say it was "one man's opinion". I decided to go to the source. I went to the School of Dentistry at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. UAB more than confirmed ... said all the work my dentist had done was "CLINICALLY UNACCEPTABLE". I had more root canals that the root had been breached and more teeth they found had incomplete root canals.
From Mar.-Jul. this year, making many 350 mi. round trips, UAB had to do repair surgery, extractions and rework root canals. Finances exhausted, UAB cannot continue work until I pay the current, almost $1K balance. As of this writing, my root canals not finalized. My teeth brittle, chipping and difficult to eat. Bite my lips. I feel like I am at the mercy of the world.
OK. I contacted an attorney and found that my dentist had been sued by them several times for sexual harrassment. A month later, they said they can't take my case because they are not expereinced in Malpractice and would try to find an attorney for me ... that I certainly had a good case.
I received a letter saying they were sorry, they could not find a Dental Malpractice attorney.
I contacted another Attorney. He said I had a good case, a good venue, but the money was not great enough and even Medical Malpractice was tough. I may break even. Therefore, thier expenses would be too great. I walked out feeling depressed, tired and whipped. And "you'll be wasting your time trying to get your dentist to refund your money.
Is there no Justice?
I contacted BCBS and asked if they could take back any insurance money paid to my dentist and reinstate my insurance for the year. I was so ticked off at them. They said they pay the dentists based on service, not quality of service. If you had your car painted and the painter used house paint, the paint flaked off the next week ... you'd be out of luck because the service was performed, regardless of the quality.
I will have to have an attorney take the case on contingency. I am not greedy. All I want is the money paid out, so I can get my teeth fixed. I am having to pay for it twice, not to mention agony in the process, time off from work, time spent making contacts, writing, asking for suggestions.
I told BCBS that I could stage an accident and break my teeth and it would be covered under medical. Ha! I think BCBS though I was serious because I was so upset over their policy of service performed, not the quality.
My case was even strengthened because uncannily, I ran across a former employee of my dentist. She said she quit because she knew he was performing shoddy service. I found (if true) that because of former suits against him, that he does not have insurance for his practice per se. He is insured through his wife. Also, because of the kindness of Dr. J, I sent my wife to him and he told her he knew my dentist had been sued before for sexual harrassment. So something is very, very wrong here.
Surely, there must be help for someone in my position or others will be taken advantage of by my dentist.
So, desperate, I have one more attorney that someone said may help, but I have lost confidence that anyone today wants to help you unless you can "show them the money" . All I want is to be free of pain, to smile again, to eat normally. Now my bite, is really off and my gums are sore from having to eat food on them. I cannot express my nightmare in the text alloted for this post and have had to edit it.
But, I feel I am a survivor and that I am blessed and that there is always some in a worse situation than I. I must have faith and believe that this will work out for me in the end.
In conclusion, my dentist must all along have been responsible for all of my continued pain. I remember never seeing him take an X-ray to see if the depth of the root canals were correct. UAB Endodontics took 3 X-rays for each root canal they reworked. I believe that my dentist actually did break the bone in my jaw. I also believe he did fracture my tooth that had to be extracted after he performed a root canal, I rember feeling like it was going to burst when he kept filing the nerve out of it. But those are over and done and I don't think proveable. But I do know I have proof of those teeth remaining that he worked on that were Clinically Unacceptable. I will never forget this the rest of my life. I sadly will be less trusting of any new "professional" in the future. It has had a definite impact on my life.
I apprecaite the time you've taken to read this. I appreciate having somewhere to go if only to vent. And, I appreciate any ansewers and hope I may get from this post.
Thank you very,very much for listening,
Jeff
My email address is: [email protected]