Poor Dentist work..what now???

I had 3 root treatments done 4years ago all by the same dentist. Each tooth has in the past flared up, become swollen and had an abcess which has been treated with antibiotics.





However, at present i have a huge abscess and my face was vastly swollen. I decided to visit a private dentist for treatment and also because the NHS waiting list is large at the moment.





The dentist i visited was shocked at what he had seen and infact said all three root treatments have been poorly done. All three teeth need to have root treatment done on them again and msut be thorougly cleaned since some bacteria still exists.





Worse still, the two back teeth he says he will find difficult to keep and wil try his hardest but if managed to be saved they definitely need crowning. If the worst comes to the worst they must be removed





Where do i stand with the dentists poor work? its going to cost £1800 to put right, what can i claim?? who i write to??

Poor Dentist work..what now???
Go on the NHS website! They will have details of how to complain!! But to be honest don't expect to get far!! That is don't expect to receive compensation for the shobby work!! Only cases were a patient's health or life have been compromised, or the dentsists/doctor has seriously breached rules and regulations will complaints commitee's investigate. It is very common for a proportion of root canal treatments to fail. Although I am not clear as to why they fail, it is not always down to shobby work, and thus it would be difficult to prove that your failed root canal was due to your dentist doing a poor job!





I would write and complain though. Because obviously if this dentist receives many complaints regarding the standard of his/her work than s/he will eventually be investigated. Far too often dentists/doctors get away with sub-standard work for far too long because people can not be 'bothered' to complain.
Reply:Get your lawyer girl, you can defiantly sue. He/she can guide you through it
Reply:Sounds painful to the face and wallet.


Contact your local PCT who will have a complaints proceedure.Unless your dentist is totally incompetent or negligent[not likely] lawyers are unlikely to help.


You would be eligible for an NHS 2nd opinion
Reply:Get a lawyer and have them send a letter to the dental office regarding the work, money. Contact your insurance company. File a complaint.
Reply:This appears to be a case where he was negligent and reckless in the way he made the canal.It either was because his instruments were not sterile and he delivered bacteria to the area where he did it, leaving you with the seeds of pain waiting to hatch and drive you made; OR he cracked the tooth by using too large a drill or not making the canal in the right place, so that the heat of the drill or getting too close to the tooth wall led to the tooth cracking. If that happened , and he didnt tell you of the crack, it is FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT for which you can sue for plenty and not get just the damages of losing your tooth (thats whats got to happen if the tooth cracked) but you can also get punitive damages over and above what you get for your injuries and suffering. This dentist was no fool. He steered you to his cohors who will back him up to cover up the fraud if you sue. So, get not just your own choice of dentist to fix the problem if it can be fixed, or to extract the tooth if that is the end of it all, but also get a malpractice lawyer to take this cheater to the cleaners. His malpractice insurance company will have to pick up the tab for the $$$ you have coming. Just watch out for the dentist who stops before he completes the root canal and tells you to come back in a week or two or even longer or refers you to another dentist when your problems surface. That's a sign he ruined the tooth; the tooth cracked and he wants to conceal it from you, so when you come back you will be told he found it cracked and accuses you of eating something real hard that caused the crack, not his negligence and malpractice. If that happens to you (and it happens all the time), go immediately to another dentist and ask him to tell you what's wrong with the truth. If the second dentist is truthful, he will disclose to you that the tooth is cracked. Dont tell him the name of the dentist who damaged the tooth; he may call that dentist u p and the two will conspire to mislead you into thinking it didnt happen when the first dentist did it. The first dentist probably drilled off the required path of drilling or used too large a drill that heated up the tooth, weakened it and it cracked. In the USA you could sue for plenty as noted above, but you brits have strange systems of doing things, so I dont know what you can do there.


Good luck. You are dealing with treacherous people
Reply:Leo B, am I missing something? How is it possible to make a canal? Surely an expert like yourself would know that root canal therapy is the removal of bacteria and dead tissue from the canal which is already a part of the tooth?