Root Canal, Crown too high, lost tooth

[DStabbins]

NE

I had a root canal performed on my #19 molar Jan 08. I then had the tooth prepped for a ceramic crown at the same time. When the perm. crown was installed in Feb it felt too bulky and high. The dentist said that it would take some time to get used to the feel so I let it go for a month or so when my tongue started feeling fatigued when eating and the tooth began hurting. I contacted the dentist and he informed me that the crown probably needed adjusted.

Due to my work schedule and the dentist schedule I was not able to get into his office for an adjustment until may. I informed the dentist that the tooth was hurting and that my bite did not feel right. I also told him that I was having a problem with a lot of food getting caught behind the tooth. The dentist did not want to replace the ill fitting crown instead opting to put a larger filling in my #18 molar and buffing down the sides of the crown.

The dentist began drilling on my #18 molar without deadening the tooth first saying I shouldn't feel any discomfort. I stopped him after a few seconds, informed him of pain, he then deadened the tooth and began again. I informed him upon completion that my bite still felt wrong and he assured me it was fine.

Several weeks past with continued pain and headaches, then the crown broke on the backside. I sought dental care from another dentist. He informed me the crown was about 1 mil too high and that because of the trauma of constant pounding on the tooth the tissue below the tooth was bruised and damage. He filed the crown down and we decided to wait to see if the tissue damage/bruising got better before proceeding.

After another month or so, the tooth had to be pulled.

After several letters and phone calls, the original dentist refunded the money for the crown but refuses to pay for any other care or a bridge for the affected area. Do I have grounds for a malpractice suit and would it be worth my time and money to pursue it? The cost for care of the damaged tooth and a bridge will cost approx. $2000.

Sorry for the long read and thank you in advance.

 

[lya]

Call and medmal attorney and ask about the merits of your claim. You accepted partial compensation by accepting the "no charge". I don't know if that will have any influence on whether or not your claim is viable.

I doubt an attorney would accept this claim for litigation as the potential award would not cover the costs of preparation and litigation. An attorney may be willing to go after a reasonable settlement to pay for your additional expenses.

Best wishes,

 

[ecmst12]

Since the case is simple as far as the medical facts, this might even be something you could handle in small claims court.

 

[barry1817]

dental malpractice

NE

I had a root canal performed on my #19 molar Jan 08. I then had the tooth prepped for a ceramic crown at the same time. When the perm. crown was installed in Feb it felt too bulky and high. The dentist said that it would take some time to get used to the feel so I let it go for a month or so when my tongue started feeling fatigued when eating and the tooth began hurting. I contacted the dentist and he informed me that the crown probably needed adjusted.

Due to my work schedule and the dentist schedule I was not able to get into his office for an adjustment until may. I informed the dentist that the tooth was hurting and that my bite did not feel right. I also told him that I was having a problem with a lot of food getting caught behind the tooth. The dentist did not want to replace the ill fitting crown instead opting to put a larger filling in my #18 molar and buffing down the sides of the crown.

The dentist began drilling on my #18 molar without deadening the tooth first saying I shouldn't feel any discomfort. I stopped him after a few seconds, informed him of pain, he then deadened the tooth and began again. I informed him upon completion that my bite still felt wrong and he assured me it was fine.

Several weeks past with continued pain and headaches, then the crown broke on the backside. I sought dental care from another dentist. He informed me the crown was about 1 mil too high and that because of the trauma of constant pounding on the tooth the tissue below the tooth was bruised and damage. He filed the crown down and we decided to wait to see if the tissue damage/bruising got better before proceeding.

After another month or so, the tooth had to be pulled.

After several letters and phone calls, the original dentist refunded the money for the crown but refuses to pay for any other care or a bridge for the affected area. Do I have grounds for a malpractice suit and would it be worth my time and money to pursue it? The cost for care of the damaged tooth and a bridge will cost approx. $2000.

Sorry for the long read and thank you in advance.

Telling a patient that they will get used to the crown being uncomfortable is absurd. If the dentist checked the bite, at the time of insertion of the crown, he would have noticed it and taken care of it. You may find surveys that the porcelain in crowns can cause problems when they aren't in proper occlusion.

You then mention that to solve the problem that he created he wanted to redo the restoration on another tooth, which is wrong.

As to food being trapped between the teeth, that means that the contact wasn't correct, which means the crowns was seated with a problem, and if the contact was checked, this normally doesn't happen.

The unfortunate problem with your case is that the amount is may not be sufficient to justify a lawyer taking the case, and if you go into small claims, in order to prevail you may need to have a dentist as a witness to speak of the problems with the treatment you received.

I would recommend that you speak with a malpractice attorney. Have the records requested and have them reviewed so that one will know what the dentist wrote and how best to tackle this problem and get your problem properly resolved.

I would be interested to know if you had to sign any waiver when he refunded you some of the funds, as that could complicate a case, but with or without the waiver the negligence that may have occurred would still be there, and the loss of the tooth makes the treatment to replace it, something that may justify the suit, as you may need a bridge, or an implant, and you would also have to look into the cost of multiple treatment as most dental treatment will not last your life time and may need to be replaced at a future time, and that would be a part of the damages that you might have your attorney seeking.

 

[DStabbins]

Thank you all for your posts.

I did not have to sign a waiver when the dentist sent the refund to me. I have yet to cash the check because I didn't want it affect my case if I decided to pursue it.

I will contact an attorney to discuss my claim. I am confident I could win in court but I really don't think it would amount to enough to make it worth my time.

thank you again, Merry Christmas!

 

[barry1817]

dental malpractice

Thank you all for your posts.

I did not have to sign a waiver when the dentist sent the refund to me. I have yet to cash the check because I didn't want it affect my case if I decided to pursue it.

I will contact an attorney to discuss my claim. I am confident I could win in court but I really don't think it would amount to enough to make it worth my time.

thank you again, Merry Christmas!

Make sure that if a lawyer takes the case that he makes a claim for remakes done the line, as even the best dental treatment may need to be retreated.

If the records show a negligence, then you might be able to find a lawyer that can do much better for you, because there is a large distinction between a treatment that fails, but was done in good faith, and treatment that must fail, because it was negligent from the beginning and substandare quality of care.

It becomes all about the perception of whether the treating doctor was negligent, incompetent or just a poor result.

But a porcelain crown that is high, will never work itself down to be comfortable without creating somesort of problem, and often the reality is that the dentist doesn't want to adjust the crown, then send it back to the lab to be refinished and then come back to reseat the crown, because of time and cost. That becomes not acceptible to a panel of your peers that have to judge the case.