Posted by mair on April 30, 2003, at 17:20:31
In reply to Re: Dental phobia/flossing - true confessions » maryhelen, posted by leeran on April 29, 2003, at 12:27:08
A few years ago I was under treatment with a peridontist. During a regular check-up he told me that I had a tooth that might require a root canal. He took xrays and told me that he'd read them later and if I needed further work on this tooth he'd let me know. I never heard from him. A couple of months went by and I started to develop acute face pain. I saw a nurse first who thought it was a sinus infection and prescribed some anti biotics which really did nothing. Eventually I was referred to an ENT guy who took a CT scan and told me again that I had a sinus infection. I was treated with antibiotics again to no positive effect. I had a second CT scan which revealed that the sinus infection had cleared up. Next I was referred to an allergist who did a full range of skin tests, revealing nothing more threatening than a dust allergy. Eventually I was referred to an neurologist who wanted to prescribe ADs for pain management. This was now 10 months after the xrays were taken and 8 months after the pain started. During this time I saw the periodontist's hygenist at least twice and told her about the problems I was having with this face pain. Each time I visited a new specialist I told him that I was sure it wasn't a dental problem because I had been xrayed not long before the pain started. Eventually I made my way back to my regular dentist who took a new xray and told me I had a severely infected tooth. Finally I got a root canal and the pain cleared up almost a year from when it started.
I tried to get the periodontist to cover the cost of all the testing I had done. He refused pointing fingers at all the medical people I saw during the intervening year. I found out that shortly after my xray he stopped actively practicing for health reasons but kept his office open for hygenist work. (the hygenist never mentioned this) Anyway the perio guy said that MDs should have sent me to a dentist earlier. His excuse for why his hygenist never said anything to me was that I told her I had facial pain which hadn't yet been diagnosed. Of course, she's looking at the xrays which show the infected tooth but never put the two together, and never, for that matter, asked why I hadn't gotten the root canal which her xrays must have shown I needed. At least that would have clued me in that I had a dental problem. The perio guy also blamed me for not checking back after the pain started to see if it might have been related.
Of course there was not enough money involved to pursue him once he refused to take responsibility. I felt used and abused, and in the way I approach things, I felt stupid for having even tried to seek recompense in the first place and stupid for giving it up so easily when he told me he wouldn't do anything. I really think I didn't care about the money anywhere near as much as I cared that he wouldn't own up to a mistake. I liked him before and was extremely disappointed that he took the tack he did. Beyond that I think I was just looking for some acknowledgment that he screwed up, that his screw up caused me great discomfort and that he was sorry about it. To blame me and all the other people I saw was pretty low.
I've never liked going to the dentist. After this experience it took me ages before I hooked up with another perio.
poster:mair
thread:222890
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030426/msgs/223484.html