Several Questions

[brooke]

Mostly need an opinion on if I should seek out a new Dentist,but also have some questions related to denistry.I'm kind of a dentist hopper and have seen at least four in the last few years.Reason for visit was I broke a section of tooth down to the gumline on one side,and the middle of the tooth has a filling that stayed in place.Basically we are talking a shell of a tooth left with a section broke down to the gum line.
The dentist office got me in on an emergency and I figured the work would be done on the tooth that day.X-ray was taken of tooth and I was told I would need a root canal and a crown.I wasn't happy about that and told them I didn't think my insurance would cover it.
The tooth is toward the back of my mouth.A temporary filling was put in by an assistant and I was told to return in two weeks.Two weeks later a full set of x-rays even though I had informed them that I had had a full series less than a year ago and offered to bring them in.The assistant was rude and the doc. walked out in the middle of the exam after saying "MOD" several times during exam, without giving me any details of what he discovered during the exam.The assistant told me I had eight big cavities and told me to come back in two weeks.I informed her that I couldn't imagine having any cavities as I floss and brush religously and had had a check up less than a year ago.She said maybe they missed them.We are now up to almost a month since the tooth broke.The temp filling fell out tonight.I have also done some research on this dentist and found out he lost his license for several counts of billing fraud.He was billing for work on patients that he didn't actually do.He has since been reinstated.
My questions.
1)Should I trust this dentist or look for another.He did say he would try to fix my tooth without doing the root canal,but not sure if I can trust him about the cavities.
2)Is it possible for a Dentist to find cavities on a visual method alone.He was calling out "MOD" during exam without looking at x-rays.
3)What are the odds of just filling the tooth and having it last vs a root canal.
4)How could I have eight cavities in less than a year when I brush and floss daily.
5)Is it possible considering how much tooth is lost to have a filling hold in considering the temp fell out
I think that's it for now.LOL. I do like the office setting as it's homey but not sure about the people or dentist that work there.
Thanks for any help.

 

[brit]

Mostly need an opinion on if I should seek out a new Dentist,but also have some questions related to denistry.I'm kind of a dentist hopper and have seen at least four in the last few years.Reason for visit was I broke a section of tooth down to the gumline on one side,and the middle of the tooth has a filling that stayed in place.Basically we are talking a shell of a tooth left with a section broke down to the gum line.
The dentist office got me in on an emergency and I figured the work would be done on the tooth that day.X-ray was taken of tooth and I was told I would need a root canal and a crown.I wasn't happy about that and told them I didn't think my insurance would cover it.
The tooth is toward the back of my mouth.A temporary filling was put in by an assistant and I was told to return in two weeks.Two weeks later a full set of x-rays even though I had informed them that I had had a full series less than a year ago and offered to bring them in.The assistant was rude and the doc. walked out in the middle of the exam after saying "MOD" several times during exam, without giving me any details of what he discovered during the exam.The assistant told me I had eight big cavities and told me to come back in two weeks.I informed her that I couldn't imagine having any cavities as I floss and brush religously and had had a check up less than a year ago.She said maybe they missed them.We are now up to almost a month since the tooth broke.The temp filling fell out tonight.I have also done some research on this dentist and found out he lost his license for several counts of billing fraud.He was billing for work on patients that he didn't actually do.He has since been reinstated.
My questions.
1)Should I trust this dentist or look for another.He did say he would try to fix my tooth without doing the root canal,but not sure if I can trust him about the cavities.
2)Is it possible for a Dentist to find cavities on a visual method alone.He was calling out "MOD" during exam without looking at x-rays.
3)What are the odds of just filling the tooth and having it last vs a root canal.
4)How could I have eight cavities in less than a year when I brush and floss daily.
5)Is it possible considering how much tooth is lost to have a filling hold in considering the temp fell out
I think that's it for now.LOL. I do like the office setting as it's homey but not sure about the people or dentist that work there.
Thanks for any help.

I'm not a dentist but to be honest, I don't know why you are asking this...it is obvious from your account you are not happy with the place (i.e. people = most important aspect) and if it makes you feel any better, based on just half of what you have said, I certainly wouldn't be going back there.

The fact you have discovered that he has a dubious history in the honesty department probably means no one should be risking going there! So get the heck out of there is my advice....how long are you supposed to wait around for this emergency tooth to be sorted out?
By the way, I wouldn't be at all happy with a practice where the assistant does temporary fillings and feeds back the results of an exam as you have described...I am sure there is better available out there....and of course a second opinion will help you decide whether there really are likely to be so many cavities involved.

For a broken down tooth, a root canal and crown sounds like a reasonable way forward and if a root canal really is required the only likely alternative is extraction so you have to decide whether you want to keep that particular tooth even if insurance doesn't cover it.

To me MOD means Ministry of Defence lol....no idea what it means in dental jargon but no doubt ZZZ will enlighten us both soon...
Best of luck in finding an ethical caring competent dentist who doesn't delegate everything to his rude Assistants.

 

[brit]

He did say he would try to fix my tooth without doing the root canal,but not sure if I can trust him about the cavities.

8 fillings plus trying to do a permanent filling in the busted tooth probably costs as much as a root canal if not more so he's quids in either way if you go back.
Another dentist may say you just need the root canal.
Or better yet that the tooth can just be fixed permanently.

 

[HooDude]

Yeah I don't think i'd be going back either.. good luck to you.

 

[Zzzdentist]

1)Should I trust this dentist or look for another.He did say he would try to fix my tooth without doing the root canal,but not sure if I can trust him about the cavities.

Ah... um okay... I guess one shouldn't judge a person just because they commit insurance fraud, but it does sort of make you go hmmm what kind of ethics does he have? Would he try to pull a fast one over his patients too if it was easy enough? I mean, it's easy to defraud insurance and fairly easy to dupe patients sooooOOOoo there is always that possibility there.

2)Is it possible for a Dentist to find cavities on a visual method alone.He was calling out "MOD" during exam without looking at x-rays.

It is possible, but looking at xrays can be pretty important at doing a proper diagnosis. Would you trust a physician who said "Yep, let's do surgery on that broken leg of yours" without them looking at an xray first? BTW, "MOD" most likely refers to mesial-occlusal-distal which are the surfaces that he plans on repairing with a filling.

3)What are the odds of just filling the tooth and having it last vs a root canal.

If you can find a competent, honest dentist and if the tooth hasn't fractured too badly, there might be a good chance of avoiding a root canal, but without seeing the tooth, I cannot really tell you what the odds are.

4)How could I have eight cavities in less than a year when I brush and floss daily.

Errr you might want to get a second opinion verifying that.

5)Is it possible considering how much tooth is lost to have a filling hold in considering the temp fell out
I think that's it for now.LOL. I do like the office setting as it's homey but not sure about the people or dentist that work there.
Thanks for any help.

Temporary fillings fall out fairly easily since the tooth is not prepared to keep them in place like a permanent filling. A permanent one could hold just fine, but it will depend on the situation.

It's nice to find a homey clinic, but you know for the sake of your dental health it's probably nicer to find an honest dentist that is looking after your best interests.

 

[brooke]

Thanks everyone.I really appreciate your taking the time to help me and answer my questions.Truth be told I haven't been feeling good about this situation since my tooth broke and I went to this dentist.I guess for me I was trying to do a plus minus view as far as going back.It could always be worse.I do have the phobia and panic attacks and liked that he didn't put my chair all the way back.That is rare in my experience.Of course he hasn't actually done any work on my teeth,so who knows what horrors awaited me.haha.
I suppose it would be a good idea to go elsewhere and get a second opinion,but not sure if I should at least go back and have them put back the temp filling as it may be a while before I can get in somewhere else.I for sure want to get my x-rays so I don't have to get more at another place.I also was trying to give this dentist the benefit of the doubt,but it is hard to trust a person that you know hasn't been in honest in the past.I also found out he had some anger management issues as he had a court case for destroying property.Yikes.
I was freaking out about the root canal/crown as that would be a new experience for me as I have always just had fillings.Of course I was busy going to various websites and reading all the horror stories on root canals.
Thanks again you guys.I have been stressing about this,and my family sort of brushed it off when I discussed some of these things with them.It has been great to get some feedback.

 

[brit]

I also was trying to give this dentist the benefit of the doubt,but it is hard to trust a person that you know hasn't been in honest in the past.I also found out he had some anger management issues as he had a court case for destroying property.

Why were you trying to give him the benefit of the doubt? What doubt? You don't owe him a living. Dishonesty and anger management issues aside....the situation doesn't feel right to you......so you shouldn't go back (I.M.V.)...I'm impressed you were able to find this negative history out by the way...if you research and ask around you will easily be able to find an empathetic dentist with whom to discuss your fears (such as chair being a long way back) and what possible solutions could be...in the right hands root canals do not deserve their bad reputation but to be honest you'd be better having one done by an endodontist with a good reputation - as they specialise in them and will be versed in the additional anaesthesia etc and have instruments (microscopes) which makes it more likely that the root canal will be a success. They may not do the crown part though.

If you are pretty sure you do need a root canal then you could go to an endodontist direct probably and then back to a general dentist to check the rest...endos tend to work on an emergency basis i.e. when people have toothache (a bit like maternity depts) so you shouldn't have too long a wait...personally I would not go back where I have been made to feel uncomfortable and where an assistant has been rude to me and where my problem has not been sorted out for several weeks despite being an emergency (come back in 2 weeks malarkey!) and where two lots of xrays were taken etc etc .....by all means ask for your x-rays and then go elsewhere.

Have you checked here to see if we have any recommended dentists listed in your area?

Find a dentist for nervous patients

Has your dentist helped you overcome your fears? In our dentist reviews section, you can leave a review for them, or find a dentist near you who is good with nervous or phobic patients.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[brooke]

I really wasn't concerned with checking the dentist out until my sister scared me with a movie,no less,about a dentist that was killing their patients.LoL.So that got me thinking.
I went to the State Medical Board and found out his history. I was freaked out when at first he came up as not even having a license.Finally his name came up with all the details of his fraud.It said that he had to do restitution and I think one thousand hours of community service at a clinic.He had lost his license for six years.I found out his criminal damaging/endangering case at a clerk of courts in my area.
I'm not sure why I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt.Maybe because he had made restitution,or more likely I thought that my knowing his past was swaying my view and that perhaps he was being honest about my needs.At any rate I wont be going back.I did call about having the temp filling put back in and they refused to do it.I also thought I may be able to have a few minutes to get some answers to my questions,such as where the cavities were,and so on,but was told he wasn't there today.I don't know why they were so concerned about the doctor not being in as before they had an assistant put in the temp and it only would have taken a few minutes,but so be it.I told them I needed my records and they told me to wait two weeks as they were very busy.I insisted and they gave in.So I do have the x-rays.They didn't give me any of the actual records so I guess he's in the clear as far as me having any proof about the cavities he had marked to be filled.One of the x-rays is missing as well.I made an appointment with another dentist for Thursday so I will see what he has to say.The receptionist seemed nice and the new dentist has a clean record so that's good.LOL.
Thanks for the information about possibly seeing a specialist.I didn't know that anethesia would be required for a root canal.When I asked the assistant she didn't mention any of that,she just said I wouldn't even know I was having a root canal.hmmm.I'm sure that a lot of root canals turn out okay,but people only post when they are having problems with dental services,or at least that has been what I've read on most boards.I will also check out the link you posted for future ideas as far as good dentists.
I also have one more question about what would be the best thing to do about the missing temp filling.I'm not having much pain but was concerned about losing more of the tooth between now and Thursday.I have a bad problem with clenching my teeth at night,so I did buy this product called Temparin but I'm not sure if I should just leave the tooth alone until my appt? The new dentist knows about the lack of temp so maybe I should just leave it be?
Thanks again for your help.

 

[brit]

Pleasure to help...I hope it goes well on Thursday...the other place certainly likes the expression 'come back in two weeks' don't they..it sounds like a very strange place from your account in the round. Well done for not putting it off any longer. Don't know about the temparin stuff not too far away anyway as you say.

On root canals if the nerve is dead it may not need much LA but most dentists would give it anyway 'just in case'. Their bad reputation seems to come from when infection present makes numbing more difficult hence why in that situation an endodontist would probably be a safer bet..technically they are always a safer bet simply because they specialise and have the advanced equipment.

 

[brooke]

Hi everyone

Just wanted to give a quick update and of course ask a few more questions.I went to the new dentist today and he seemed nice and the staff were friendly.A nice change from my last experience.I think it will work out okay.I'm supposed to go back in ten days and have some actual work done.Yay.He said I didn't have ANY cavities but that he would like to replace some very old fillings and I agreed knowing that they may break due to age.
He also said on the one tooth that I had one root? that didn't look good but that he would try a filling but that I may need a root canal in that area if I have pain later on.
Four visits in all he thinks will do it.Kind of wished he had put a new temporary filling in but he said it should be okay without it.
Now for my questions.....during my exam he said the word "occusal" (sp) several times and "M.O.L. and I was wondering what that means?
Funny about the x-rays from the other place.They had a date of 2002 on the plastic container they were in.hmmm.Oh well maybe they were the right x-rays.
I did have to get one more x-ray on the actual broken tooth as the last place didn't include that one when they gave me my x-rays.The buzzards.LOL.
One more question....do you recommend any store bought mouth guards for teeth grinding or clenching?
Thanks.

 

[Gordon]

Each surface of the tooth has a code name, occlusal means the biting surface of a molar or premolar (bicuspid for you North Americans) sometimes shortened to just a letter.

I'm not convinced that store bought guards are a good enough fit to work for grinding problems.

 

[brooke]

Yep,that would be me,North American.I may ask the dentist about mouth guards in the future once I get the other stuff sorted out.Thanks for the info.