failed dental implant

[Otto_2000]

In June of 2003 I went to a dentist who told me his wife could do a dental implant on a tooth that could not be saved. In order to do the implant, I needed a bone graft which she could also do. I agreed to both the bone graft and implant. She grafted the bone and placed the implant, all in one visit. I paid the dentist on my Visa, $1900. The next day, I don't remember if I called the dentist, or if the dentist called me, but, he and his wife were gone. They left for Florida! Permanently! They moved! He gave me the name of another dentist who could take over for him and I went to him the following week for a check up. He told me the implant had failed because the bone graft had failed and said he would call the original dentist who was a friend of his. The original dentist swore up and down that he would send the money I had paid him to the new dentist who would re-do my bone graft and implant. Then the new dentist put me on the phone with the original dentist and he told me the same thing. He told me not to worry, that he would pay the new dentist for the work. Well, it took close to two years to complete my new implant. The dentist wanted to be sure the bone was very strong before he inserted the implant, which he did last week. But, I had to pay him for the bone graft AND implant because the office manager said they cannot accept payment from the original dentist and I would have to go after him for my money. So I paid the dentist. He called the original dentist, twice, and told him to call me and settle the matter. He never called. So I called him. He was in with a patient and the receptionist said he'd call me when he was finished with his patient. He didn't call. Is this malpractice? Shouldn't he have told me before he started the work that he was leaving and wouldn't be around for me? I would have had the option of finding another dentist. What are my options?

 

[ellencee]

I'm not an attorney, but it seems to me that you have a witnessed verbal contract for $1900--original dentist agreed to pay for the revision/treatment. If it isn't a contract issue, then I believe you have a good shot at getting this resolved with a medmal attorney but don't count on getting more than the cost of the treatment and attorney's fees.

Go for it.
EC

 

[teflon_jones]

You should sue the first dentist to get your money back. When a bone graft is required, it always takes two surgeries spaced months (or even a year or more) apart to do an implant. The second dentist was correct in how he did it because he waited for the bone graft to take.

You need to immediately file the suit in the county court where the dentist used to practice. I'm sorry to hear about your trouble! I had the same procedures done myself, so I know how unpleasant they are.

 

[barry1817]

dental implant

What you have is a patient abandonment. There is no way that the treatment should have been started knowing that he wasn't going to be there to finish it without making the proper arrangements.

This should be reported to the dental board, and because of the time necessary for this type of treatment you have a dentist operating below the standard of care, which is a malpractice issue. I would be very interested in the board speciality of these people, and correspondence might be forwarded to your state's board and to the new state's as well.

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[Otto_2000]

failed implant

Well, here's and update on the implant situation. I paid this dentist on my credit card so I called my cc company and disputed the charge. They refunded my money until the other dentist got a lawyer and denied the dispute that I was making. He and his wife and lawyer actually seemed to have contempt for me, judging from the tone of their rebuttal. Anyway, I called my new dentists office manager and spoke with her concerning the whole situation. She looked through my records and found some interesting patient info! Apparently, my new dentist, documented the phone calls between him and the old, evil dentist. He did indeed agree to replace the implant "at no charge to the patient". There it was in black and white, no longer just an oral agreement! So the new dentist had no problem giving me a copy of the records. I sent them to my cc company along with my own rebuttal. Hopefully, this will settle it. But, ya know, anything can happen in this sleazy world!

 

[barry1817]

implant

That is why records are so important. It is an accurate reflection of what occurred at the time. Good luck with this this.

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