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Dentist ground down tooth without permission

  • Thread starter Thread starter hannahlee
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hannahlee

Junior member
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Aug 16, 2018
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2
Hey guys,

I’m in a situation where I really don’t know what to do at this point so any and all help or advice would be so very much appreciated.

I went to the dentist mid July to fix a shattered crown on the molar furthest back in my mouth. Everything went fine and they ground down / prepped the tooth and fit me with a temporary crown and gave me until August 1 (3 weeks from temp fitting day) to place in my new permanent crown.

Well, during work a day after the appointment my temp crown popped off and so I called the office right after my shift and asked to come in right away to have it put back on. The tech told me that that’s not needed and I could fix it myself with dentemp or just leave it off. So I went to get myself some dentemp and attempted to place it back in myself but experienced extreme sensitivity to the point of pain. So I ended up wearing it like a retainer and placing it off when I eat or at night so I don’t swallow it. The pain of placing it off and on was so bad that after the initial first week I put in a small glass of water and wore it occasionally to make sure it still fit.

On August 1, the day of my appointment, I get a call from the same tech telling me that my crown wasn’t in the office yet and that they would have to delay my appointment to the 14th of August. I said okay and left it at that. A few days later on August the 6th I attempted to fit the temporary crown to my molar again and it broke. So I called and their front desk rep told me to come in right away. The dentist fit the permanent crown (which had come in already but I was never notified ) in and it fit horribly. I couldn’t even close my mouth right. He then told me that I’ll feel a little vibration and proceeded to work on my tooth. The whole time he seemed like he was in a rush because he was called in that day specifically for me. I felt something on my good tooth above the molar but I did t question it, trusting he knew what he was doing. After several times they used the impression sheet and asked me if it was ok I was finally able to close my mouth without feeling like I was trying to chew on a rock.

Afterwards, as I was leaving I felt around my mouth and noticed that he had ground down my good top molar down to a stump. I was absolutely devastated. The entire side of the tooth was almost gone, to the point that it’s flat. I called them back and told them I needed another adjustment and to also question why he would ground down that tooth without my permission. They told me to come in on the 14th. The days between the 6th of August and the 14th of August I wasn’t able to chew properly because of the sensitivity and my teeth clashing together on that side. On the 14th, an hour before my appointment, I get a call from the same tech and she tells me my permanent crown hasn’t come in yet. At this point I’m thinking that they don’t know what’s going on at all. I tell her that I have the crown already and I go to get it adjusted. I ask the dentist why had he ground down my tooth and he tells me my tooth had shifted. He tells me that he wants to grind down the top tooth some more (can it even be ground down further??) and I tell him no. He warns me that the crown is already thin and he was just letting me know. He worked on my crown a bit and now I can comfortably close my mouth. It’s been 3 days since and I still struggle to chew on that side because now both TOP and bottom are sensitive and sore.

I dont know what to do at this point. I don’t want him touching my teeth anymore. I feel intensely regretful about having ever trusted him to touch my teeth

Sorry for the long post. I’m just so stressed right now. This whole situation has been a nightmare for me.
 
I am so sorry about your situation and I'm not really sure what to say. What seems odd to me from the start is that they didn't want you to come in to have the temp crown put back on. My dentist specifically told me not to use those temp cement products from the drugstore and instead to call if it came off, which thankfully neither of mine have. I don't know if that is standard practice or just differing opinions of the dentists. I do know that it doesn't take long for teeth to shift which is probably why your permanent crown did not fit quite right. I'm not sure why they would grind down your healthy tooth, I don't think they should have done that. I would definitely seek out another dentist and see what your options are. In the mean time, it can take some time for the tooth to settle after crown work, so sensitivity can last for a little while. I hope you feel better soon
 
Thank you. I need to see another dentist for a cleaning and I’ll ask after I get an exam. I do t know how the structure of molars work and I want to know if he ground past the enamel on that good tooth or not. I really hope not. I feel so sad and scared. The result of all this seems like it’s going to be more work that could have been avoided had I been informed of what he was going to do.

Update: bottom tooth sensitivity is near gone but the top tooth that was ground down is agonizing to chew with. It feels like the tooth is being pulled out every time I try to chew on that side. Maybe something is wrong with my bite ? I don’t know. I have an appointment with another dentist scheduled this coming Sunday. I’m really hoping that nothing is wrong
 
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Thank you. I need to see another dentist for a cleaning and I’ll ask after I get an exam. I do t know how the structure of molars work and I want to know if he ground past the enamel on that good tooth or not. I really hope not. I feel so sad and scared. The result of all this seems like it’s going to be more work that could have been avoided had I been informed of what he was going to do.

Update: bottom tooth sensitivity is near gone but the top tooth that was ground down is agonizing to chew with. It feels like the tooth is being pulled out every time I try to chew on that side. Maybe something is wrong with my bite ? I don’t know. I have an appointment with another dentist scheduled this coming Sunday. I’m really hoping that nothing is wrong

It could be your bite. When I first had my temp crown, I had pain in an upper tooth that was no where near it. It felt like I was biting on something hard even when I was eating something soft like mashed potatoes. It was also sensitive when tapped and when using my electric toothbrush. Then once I got my permanent crown it almost immediately felt better.

I don't know much about the structure of molars either. It is possible that there is some exposed dentin causing you pain. Maybe trying a toothpaste for sensitive teeth will help it to feel better over time. Let us know how your next visit goes and I have my fingers crossed for you that it goes okay.
 
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