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Complex PTSD 100% disabled person & new dentist who hurt me while extracting a tooth & putting a post in....sick ever since!

K

K.R.

Junior member
Joined
Mar 15, 2019
Messages
3
Location
NM
I've had TERRIBLE dentist probs which w/my severe PTSD caused me approx. 10 yrs ago to change dentists to a WONDERFUL dentist who used i.v. sedation on me, working slowly & patiently with me until he was able to work on me without sedation. His sedation knocked me out completely while he worked on 1/4th of my mouth at a time as my teeth were falling apart because of all the medications I'm on. In 2012 my husband & I had to move back to our home town to care for elderly family members, which we are still doing, leaving that wonderful dentist, & since 2012 have been going to a local dental office where we live now. Until last year we had another wonderful dentist who also was very kind, patient & gentle with me, however he moved away & we were given a new, young dentist who previously was a Navy SEAL. This new dentist is maybe 30 years old. I'm 100% disabled w/chronic pain, 2 failed back surgeries, tumors on my spine, fybromyalgia, depression & Complex PTSD & more, AND am the only living child/caregiver to 2 parents, each going though slow, horrible deaths from Dementia, which takes 90% of my time. Last Thursday, 3-14-19, I went in for a tooth extraction & to have a post put in & receive a "flipper" to wear 6 mos. while I heal. I chose & paid for IV sedation on purpose because I knew I did NOT want to be awake during this process. However I was awake during most of the procedure, & this new young dentist broke crowns on either side of the extracted tooth he extracted, & while I was still awake (but drugged) he placed his hand on top of my head & shoved down as hard as he could(!!), I can only guess he was having trouble getting the post in place. All I could think when he shoved down on my head was "oh no! I already have horrendous back problems & have been in chronic pain for 20 years, every minute of every day! No, no!" Ever since then I have been extremely nauseated, I spent 3 days in bed, then my husband had to drive me to see my specialist three & a half hours away (as I couldn't drive as I was deathly ill!) who has treated me for my chronic pain and PTSD for YEARS. My specialist/doctor said this dentist hurt my neck where it connects to my head & he should've read my medical history & known better than to shove down on my head SO hard & he also told me this new dentist needs to learn about medicine because with my PTSD I should have been knocked completely out for this procedure. He also said I should get a different dentist - which I'd already decided to! Now I am once again terrified of going back to a dentist but I'm told I HAVE to go back to the same dentist for him to finish this procedure which takes 6 months of healing, & for him to fix the 2 crowns he broke & also fix another tooth he was supposed to fix during my IV sedation, but did not. As you know this was a very expensive procedure. They wanted to see me within a week, but never called me to tell me that they had made an appointment for me (I found out they made an appt for me tomorrow, when I called this morning - altho' no-one contacted me to tell me! Nor did they call to check on me after the procedure, as my old dentist used to do so kindly. Also, I was not sent home with any follow-up instructions whatsoever. I have to go see this dentist again tomorrow, although I tried to ask for another dentist to finish this up. I was told I could not have another dentist & that I HAVE to have this new dentist finish everything!! So I'm taking my husband with me every single time I go now & we will be switching dental offices (I want to switch NOW!) as this dentist office only has 3 dentists in it & the owner of it (according to a good Christian friend who worked there & quit due to the owner, told me) has almost KILLED a few patients & sexually harrassed the always young/pretty women in the office, (my friend quit as she could not stand to work for somebody that careless). I asked to be turned over to the 3rd dentist but was told I HAVE to go back to this new dentist to finish this procedure, fix the 2 crowns he broke, & fix a 2nd tooth that had a chip he said he'd fix (quick, easy fix I prepaid for!) while I was "sedated"...but he didn't(!), & I fear that tooth may break even worse! Then before this big procedure while doing a regular crown on me & just shoved a needle into my mouth, w/NO numbing 1st & NO warning! I did tell him never to do that to me again & to always numb me before putting a needle into my gums. Augh! Now I may need to get an MRI done on my neck because my chronic pain doctor told me the new dentist pushed down so hard on my head that he caused a problem somewhere in my neck (the ONE part of my body I didn't have pain in!) that is making me SO nauseated. I am 54 years old & this young man, again who was once a Navy SEAL(!), with all his strength shoved my head down into my spine!!! I have not been the same since. Sick & constant headache w/shooting, SHARP pain in my head! I am terrified of seeing him again!! Is it true that I have to have the same dentist finish all this work? Why can't another dentist in the same office finish it instead of him? I have good dental insurance that paid for the procedure & my husband & I wrote a check for $2,700! There is only one 3rd dentist there that I thought I'd have an option to use & I do not understand why I cannot use the 3rd dentist!! Why am I being forced to return to a dentist that hurt me? He undid in 1 day what took 10 years for me to get over, my horrible fear of dentists!! Help!
 
K.R., I am so sorry this happened to you. I would think any competent dentist could complete the work. Would you be able to have the new office you select wrap things up? The original dentist legally HAS to forward any records and x-rays you request. Best of luck and let us know how it goes! You need to take care of yourself and not allow this idiot to cause you more harm.
 
K.R., I am so sorry this happened to you. I would think any competent dentist could complete the work. Would you be able to have the new office you select wrap things up? The original dentist legally HAS to forward any records and x-rays you request. Best of luck and let us know how it goes! You need to take care of yourself and not allow this idiot to cause you more harm.
Thank you for your quick reply! Bless you! I plan on stopping by the new highly recommended (by many people) dental office & asking if they can take over my care asap. If there's ANY way they can finish the terrible dentist's work, I'd feel so much better. Thx for your much needed advice. I'll use it. My deepest appreciation. Thank you again!
 
You are quite welcome! Let us know how it goes!
 
Dear K.R.,

I am really sorry to read what happened to you and it sounds like a very complicated situation.
My first thought reading your post is this: nobody can ever force you to do anything. If you do not like your dentist, you can get a different one. If your practice is reluctant to allow you to switch dentists there then the best idea is to get a new practice. If you have dental anxiety and other issues, it is important to take care of yourself and not trying to force yourself into getting over treatment with someone you had a bad experience with or at a practice that doesn't take care of you properly.
Another part of this is the money. You had payed a lot for the procedure and if you look for a different dentist, you probably would have to pay again for finishing the procedure (not sure how the health care system in your country works but it would make sense this way). A way out of this could be a formal complaint and making them to give you the money back. Apart of that from what you write it sounds like a complaint might be a good idea anyway, to find out what was going on and why the sedation haven't worked and to report the injury you suffered during the treatment.
Again, writing this without knowing how your health care system works and what your real possibilities are, just sharing my thoughts.

Hope you can recover from this experience soon and find a way to solve things without having to get back to that practice.

All the best wishes
 
My heart goes out to you. And while I don't have any concrete advice to offer, I just wanted to say how sorry I am that you had such a truly awful experience. I hope that you get things sorted out quickly (and I guess I do have a little advice - don't go back to him!) and that your new injury heals soon.
 
K.R.

I am so sorry as well. You have the emotional and physical burden of care taking and financial burdents to start with then to me it seems on top of all these pressures you were very unheard and unseen and I would have just felt like some manican or some plastic body they were working on to get through it as some duty or job but not as taking take of a human with real needs both physical and emotional which certainly you have and you should have . Seems they were not sensitive at all. I sense this feeling of being trapped in such horrible care with no choices. but I do encourage you like the others if you can at all choose a different option I would.. it may be more difficult than we think or imagine. but I hope you can find a way to find some competant kind care that will value you as a person and patient and start you with some positive dental experiences. I agree with Enarete that rather than go back maybe you could put a complaint and try to get your money back to go somewhere you may be at peace with.

You have been through alot and I hope for a peace place of care for you.
 
Dear K.R.,

I am really sorry to read what happened to you and it sounds like a very complicated situation.
My first thought reading your post is this: nobody can ever force you to do anything. If you do not like your dentist, you can get a different one. If your practice is reluctant to allow you to switch dentists there then the best idea is to get a new practice. If you have dental anxiety and other issues, it is important to take care of yourself and not trying to force yourself into getting over treatment with someone you had a bad experience with or at a practice that doesn't take care of you properly.
Another part of this is the money. You had payed a lot for the procedure and if you look for a different dentist, you probably would have to pay again for finishing the procedure (not sure how the health care system in your country works but it would make sense this way). A way out of this could be a formal complaint and making them to give you the money back. Apart of that from what you write it sounds like a complaint might be a good idea anyway, to find out what was going on and why the sedation haven't worked and to report the injury you suffered during the treatment.
Again, writing this without knowing how your health care system works and what your real possibilities are, just sharing my thoughts.

Hope you can recover from this experience soon and find a way to solve things without having to get back to that practice.

All the best wishes
Thank you for your good advice. I very much appreciate it. I have a chipped tooth that I paid only $37 to be fixed during my "procedure" that he didn't fix, & When my husband & I went back in to talk to the dentist, suddenly he tells me it needs a crown (which w/my ins. costs me $450!). Why can't he do the full I was charged for? I'm so upset walking around w/a broken crown (h e broke during procedure) & a front chipped tooth I pd him to fix while under (not) sedation! All this while caring for 2 parents who BOTH have dementia. Thank you again for your great advice.
 
Only that dentist could answer your question. However, considering some crowns cracked, he might have had to change his plans. Usually they make you sign a form that you agree that if somethings happens while you are under sedation, the dentist can change the treatment plan as needed. Did you sign something like that?
 
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