Monthly Archives: November 2021

Root Canal Treatment

My Dentist Doesn’t Seem to Care

I had a fractured tooth and the dentist put a crown on it without telling me it may need a root canal treatment. I probably would have just had it pulled if I knew that ahead of time. The crown never felt right and I told the dentist that it was painful whenever I had to chew on that side, but he blew me off and said it is normal to have some irritation after a crown. I waited and then the next month, I ended up needing a dental crown on the next tooth. I asked them to fix the first tooth before crowning the second one, but they weren’t interested in that. All he did was numb the first tooth a little and crown the second tooth then tell me to come back in a couple of weeks. Now I find out the first tooth has a periapical abscess. At this point, I think they should refund me on the crown and I just pay for the extraction at this point. Is there a way to get this money back?

Margie

Dear Margie,

In the long run, this is not going to be the best dentist for you. Though, I am sure you have already figured that out. He is sloppy in his work and doesn’t have good follow through. In fact, he seemed more interested in collecting a fee from a second procedure than fixing the first one.

While it is true that there can be some sensitivity after having a crown placed. That sensitivity has more to do with temperature changes. Pain when you are chewing is completely different. That is a sign something is wrong. When a crown is done well, you don’t even notice it is there.

What Treatment Should You Get For This

I don’t think you should get this tooth extracted. Because of the periapical abscess, it will be extremely difficult to get the surrounding area numb and this will end up being a traumatic experience.

If you, instead, had a root canal treatment done, you would be in a better position. Not only will you save your tooth but a dentist could drill down in there and you wouldn’t feel a thing. The tissue inside the tooth is dead.

I don’t trust your current dentist, so I recommend you see an endodontist (root canal specialist) to have this done.

Can You Get a Refund?

That’s a bit tricky. It wasn’t great care, but it doesn’t necessarily qualify as malpractice. Your best bet is asking for a refund. If he refuses, which he probably will, you can tell him you are going to leave a bad review explaining that he doesn’t care about his patients and does poor quality work. That may convince him that it is in his best interest to make this right with you.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck.

Affordable Dentist

Dentist Insisting I Get a Dental Implant

I recently lost a tooth. That is stressful enough but my dentist is insisting I get a dental implant. It isn’t that I don’t want one. I just honestly can’t afford one. They are way out of my budget. He’s insisting it is the only good option. Is that true? If so, do I just have to leave a gaping hole in my smile?

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

It really galls me when dentists give ultimatums like this or make patients feel like they don’t care about their teeth just because they do not go into debt for a treatment.

I’m going to tell you right away that you will probably be better served by going with a different dentist. You want one who follows his ethical obligation to give you all the options available to you. Not everyone can do the ideal treatment.

While it is true that a dental implant is currently the best tooth replacement option, there are other choices.

The next best option would be a dental bridge. This suspends a false tooth between two dental crowns. That means the adjacent teeth will have to be crowned, but it is a permanently attached solution.

The next option is a removable partial denture. This will have a false tooth and use clips to attach it to your adjacent teeth. As the name suggests they are removable, so they won’t be as steady as a dental bridge, but will suffice.

The cheapest option is a dental flipper, but this is only meant as a temporary option while you save up for a better replacement.

I am going to suggest you do an internet search for an affordable dentist and go to them to get your replacement. Most dentists who promote themselves as affordable try to keep their fees reasonable and also offer some type of payment plan.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck.