A
Avery28
Junior member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2018
- Messages
- 1
My young life was ruined by dental malpractice and it feels like a death sentence. Living with tmd (dentist caused) which no one seems to be able to correctly treat or understand is hopeless.
I'm not sure how to put into word the grief this has caused me and what an absolute, unimaginable horror this has been. It's brought me to my knees and I don't think I can live much longer. The way that it all happened is particularly crushing, because there was no informed consent and I received a procedure I didn't want. Of course it's near impossible to sue these people, so when something like this happens you're just out of luck.
If you saw me out in the world, you would probably think I was an attractive and together young lady. You wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at me because my front teeth look normal and unworn. People tell me I am beautiful and personable...they have no idea how my inner world is crumbling from the grief of this, the ptsd, the crushing reality that my life is ruined in the most unlikely and uncomfortable way. I am fighting back tears every second of the day. I have had depressed periods before but this is different - this is a living hell.
A very invasive bite adjustment procedure was done without my informed consent which damaged/grinded down over 20 teeth, causing constant tooth and jaw discomfort that has consumed my life. Worst of all this procedure was 100% unneeded. It's called an occlusal equillibration . The dentist took upon himself to do a barbaric procedure that was literally the opposite of what I went in for. I though he was going to build a couple of worn teeth with composite, not LITERALLY GRIND ALL OF MY BACK AND SIDE TEETH DOWN. No one in their right mind would want or consent to this. I closed my eyes, opened my mouth, and trusted him, not knowing he was destroying my entire mouth beyond repair. There is no way I can picture living the many many years that are ahead of me mutilated like this. It is so too insane for my brain to process, and it has already gone on far too long. No resource can help me.
Prior to this I had perfect healthy teeth -no wear, great bite, no majors restorations. I never even thought about my teeth. Now my tooth and jaw sensations make them impossible to ignore.
The only reason I stepped foot in a dental office initially was the desire for cosmetic tooth whitening. Though my teeth were completely asymptomatic, this dentist urged me to get many fillings over the course of our visits. Of course I blindly trusted and obliged. Eventually some of the fillings made my bite feel off, and I sought help from another dentist to patch up a little area of wear I noticed and straighten out my bite.
I don't think anyone can imagine how horrible this feels unless it happens to them...it is so unbearable. If someone shaves the enamel and some of your dentin off of your young, healthy teeth, you have constant sensitivity issues as they are no longer protected. You are aware of them 100% of the time. It makes one wonder how this is even a legal, sanctioned procedure. It also shortens your teeth, forcing you to bite down further to make any tooth contact, straining your jaw, causing tmj issues where your face can never rest in a comfortable position. This is an extreme procedure for someone with very specific issues I did not have. The smaller issues I did have which were once tolerable were greatly exacerbated by this.
Here are several other fun facts as to why I have no recourse:
1. NO INSURANCE WILL COVER ANY ATTEMPT AT REPAIRS
For some reason the medical community is totally separate from the dental community - it's treated as if your teeth are to a crucial component of the human body. Insurance is a joke and won't pick up the $15,000 - $30,000 it would take to even try to patch this up.
2. ALMOST NO LAWYER WILL TAKE A DENTAL CASE
Because teeth are considered such a separate entity, many lawyers who take medical cases won't touch dental. One told me to my face that it just isn't lucrative enough, it's simply not worth their time. There are too many gray areas, nuances to dentistry, dissenting opinions on technique...they just don't take these cases on unless it's SO egregious (which I would argue mine is) and even then....
In this fight, I've learned that 9 out of 10 medical malpractice cases are also not taken, so the number of patients being maimed and killed - by both doctors and dentists - without a chance at justice is reaching epidemic proportions. We are not even able to have our day in court and hold anyone accountable. And of course this also disproportionately affects women and the poor the most.
3. CHANCES OF REPAIR ARE DUBIOUS AT BEST
Since this occurred, I have consulted with numerous other dentists to figure out how the hell to get out of this nightmare. I've traveled the country to see specialists, I've seen people from every subsection/philosophy of dentistry, this has gone on and on for over five years.
I am working towards getting some of my teeth built back up with composite, as I feel it is the most minimally invasive option for covering up exposed dentin and giving my teeth/bite the additional height my jaw needs to be comfortable. Even doing this is a long process of appliance therapy before we get to the actual work. I've had several appliances before. Most things just make it all worse. It's hard to have faith in anything at this point because I've witnessed such incompetence in the field on this journey. Feels like dentistry is still in its barbaric early stages, and I'm an unfortunate victim of that.
I've never felt so violated. This is a problem with no good answers, a hell that just goes on and on. My life has been derailed. I used to be a person with interests and talents and hopes and dreams! Now I'm physically uncomfortable and grieving all the time. I can't get over it.
Has anyone else ever heard of or experienced anything like this?
I'm not sure how to put into word the grief this has caused me and what an absolute, unimaginable horror this has been. It's brought me to my knees and I don't think I can live much longer. The way that it all happened is particularly crushing, because there was no informed consent and I received a procedure I didn't want. Of course it's near impossible to sue these people, so when something like this happens you're just out of luck.
If you saw me out in the world, you would probably think I was an attractive and together young lady. You wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at me because my front teeth look normal and unworn. People tell me I am beautiful and personable...they have no idea how my inner world is crumbling from the grief of this, the ptsd, the crushing reality that my life is ruined in the most unlikely and uncomfortable way. I am fighting back tears every second of the day. I have had depressed periods before but this is different - this is a living hell.
A very invasive bite adjustment procedure was done without my informed consent which damaged/grinded down over 20 teeth, causing constant tooth and jaw discomfort that has consumed my life. Worst of all this procedure was 100% unneeded. It's called an occlusal equillibration . The dentist took upon himself to do a barbaric procedure that was literally the opposite of what I went in for. I though he was going to build a couple of worn teeth with composite, not LITERALLY GRIND ALL OF MY BACK AND SIDE TEETH DOWN. No one in their right mind would want or consent to this. I closed my eyes, opened my mouth, and trusted him, not knowing he was destroying my entire mouth beyond repair. There is no way I can picture living the many many years that are ahead of me mutilated like this. It is so too insane for my brain to process, and it has already gone on far too long. No resource can help me.
Prior to this I had perfect healthy teeth -no wear, great bite, no majors restorations. I never even thought about my teeth. Now my tooth and jaw sensations make them impossible to ignore.
The only reason I stepped foot in a dental office initially was the desire for cosmetic tooth whitening. Though my teeth were completely asymptomatic, this dentist urged me to get many fillings over the course of our visits. Of course I blindly trusted and obliged. Eventually some of the fillings made my bite feel off, and I sought help from another dentist to patch up a little area of wear I noticed and straighten out my bite.
I don't think anyone can imagine how horrible this feels unless it happens to them...it is so unbearable. If someone shaves the enamel and some of your dentin off of your young, healthy teeth, you have constant sensitivity issues as they are no longer protected. You are aware of them 100% of the time. It makes one wonder how this is even a legal, sanctioned procedure. It also shortens your teeth, forcing you to bite down further to make any tooth contact, straining your jaw, causing tmj issues where your face can never rest in a comfortable position. This is an extreme procedure for someone with very specific issues I did not have. The smaller issues I did have which were once tolerable were greatly exacerbated by this.
Here are several other fun facts as to why I have no recourse:
1. NO INSURANCE WILL COVER ANY ATTEMPT AT REPAIRS
For some reason the medical community is totally separate from the dental community - it's treated as if your teeth are to a crucial component of the human body. Insurance is a joke and won't pick up the $15,000 - $30,000 it would take to even try to patch this up.
2. ALMOST NO LAWYER WILL TAKE A DENTAL CASE
Because teeth are considered such a separate entity, many lawyers who take medical cases won't touch dental. One told me to my face that it just isn't lucrative enough, it's simply not worth their time. There are too many gray areas, nuances to dentistry, dissenting opinions on technique...they just don't take these cases on unless it's SO egregious (which I would argue mine is) and even then....
In this fight, I've learned that 9 out of 10 medical malpractice cases are also not taken, so the number of patients being maimed and killed - by both doctors and dentists - without a chance at justice is reaching epidemic proportions. We are not even able to have our day in court and hold anyone accountable. And of course this also disproportionately affects women and the poor the most.
3. CHANCES OF REPAIR ARE DUBIOUS AT BEST
Since this occurred, I have consulted with numerous other dentists to figure out how the hell to get out of this nightmare. I've traveled the country to see specialists, I've seen people from every subsection/philosophy of dentistry, this has gone on and on for over five years.
I am working towards getting some of my teeth built back up with composite, as I feel it is the most minimally invasive option for covering up exposed dentin and giving my teeth/bite the additional height my jaw needs to be comfortable. Even doing this is a long process of appliance therapy before we get to the actual work. I've had several appliances before. Most things just make it all worse. It's hard to have faith in anything at this point because I've witnessed such incompetence in the field on this journey. Feels like dentistry is still in its barbaric early stages, and I'm an unfortunate victim of that.
I've never felt so violated. This is a problem with no good answers, a hell that just goes on and on. My life has been derailed. I used to be a person with interests and talents and hopes and dreams! Now I'm physically uncomfortable and grieving all the time. I can't get over it.
Has anyone else ever heard of or experienced anything like this?
