Should I be an A hole?

[Steve McMahon]

Not sure what to do here….
My wife got a permanent bridge on the advice of our dentist. OK, $5,200.00 out of pocket not covered by our insurance.
After the extractions of the offending teeth, in for an impression.
She was not healing well and went back to the dentist, told her she wasn’t cleaning well enough (they obviously didn’t know my wife’s obsession with dental cleaning)
A couple weeks later, back again. This time they did an X-ray and discovered a “foreign body”.
Off they send us to a specialist, 300km each way, 600km round trip. Yup, a foreign body indeed. Back the next day for surgery, another 600km round trip.
The “foreign body” turned out to be a piece of the impression material the dentist used.
Now 4 months later, eating supper, the damn bridge falls out.
Phone call to the dentist, we have to go to another one of their offices to get it fixed, 200km away, 400km round trip.
This is starting to get a wee bit expensive. 1600 km of travel and 3 days I’ve had to take off work for extras beyond the $5200.00 we paid.
Options:
1. Forget about it, life’s a b*tch
2. suggest they go good for the travel costs.
3. Suggest they go good for 1/2 the travel costs.
4. Suggest they go good for travel costs and something for the three days I’ve had to take off work.
5. Other?

Pondering the right path forward. I’m generally a nice guy but I’m feeling a bit screwed over. Above and beyond the direct costs this has been less than pleasant for my sweetie as well.

[David G]

Not sure what to do here….
My wife got a permanent bridge on the advice of our dentist. OK, $5,200.00 out of pocket not covered by our insurance.
After the extractions of the offending teeth, in for an impression.
She was not healing well and went back to the dentist, told her she wasn’t cleaning well enough (they obviously didn’t know my wife’s obsession with dental cleaning)
A couple weeks later, back again. This time they did an X-ray and discovered a “foreign body”.
Off they send us to a specialist, 300km each way, 600km round trip. Yup, a foreign body indeed. Back the next day for surgery, another 600km round trip.
The “foreign body” turned out to be a piece of the impression material the dentist used.
Now 4 months later, eating supper, the damn bridge falls out.
Phone call to the dentist, we have to go to another one of their offices to get it fixed, 200km away, 400km round trip.
This is starting to get a wee bit expensive. 1600 km of travel and 3 days I’ve had to take off work for extras beyond the $5200.00 we paid.
Options:
1. Forget about it, life’s a b*tch
2. suggest they go good for the travel costs.
3. Suggest they go good for 1/2 the travel costs.
4. Suggest they go good for travel costs and something for the three days I’ve had to take off work.
5. Other?

Pondering the right path forward. I’m generally a nice guy but I’m feeling a bit screwed over. Above and beyond the direct costs this has been less than pleasant for my sweetie as well.

Insist they stand up for their own work... like any professional would & should.

[bluedog225]

I’d ask them to cover all expenses beyond the original work. To include a visit to a new dentist to evaluate and correct the original.

Dentists are largely unsupervised, solitary, cranky, and a little odd. Offering to go to the dental board is a real threat. He doesn’t want to be embarrassed by peer review. Actually going to the dental board may be less productive and will be unpleasant.

Or is the dentist part of a larger practice?

[CWSmith]

My father is a retired dentist. I'm sure if one of his installations fell out, he would have fixed it without charge.

[Paul Pless]

asking to be treated fairly is not being an ahole

[Steve McMahon]

My father is a retired dentist. I'm sure if one of his installations fell out, he would have fixed it without charge.

Yes, the fixes so far have been no charge (surgery covered by government). The issue is that where they have been sending us for the fixes are a long way to travel, expensive both for direct costs and lost time at work.

[Breakaway]

If you dont, then you are letting them be one to you.

Kevin


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[Steve McMahon]

asking to be treated fairly is not being an ahole

Damn. I’m generally a nice guy but once in a while I need an excuse to express my manhood and be an ahole.

[Steve McMahon]

If you dont, then you are letting them be one to you.

Kevin


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I’m Canadian, worse than that I’m East Coast Canadian. It’s not normal for us to push back.

[elf]

You're not pushing back. You're standing up for yourself.

[garland reese]

It sounds like the resources for such work may be few and far between in the area where you live perhaps. Assuming that to be the case I personally would not ask for travel compensation. I agree that it would not be appropriate to be charged for the repair work of a failed appliance for no apparent reason. And hopefully not for the radiograph and the visit that diagnosed the issue with the impression residue that was not cleaned out properly. In most all medical and dental procedures there comes a degree of risk and a chance for some problems. They should have made that very clear upfront. But man that is a long way to have to go for treatment. We have had the same sort of travel circumstances with my wife. She had to have surgery to replace a TMJ joint with a prosthetic. We had to make several 6 hour down and 6 hour back trips during the diagnostic and prep and surgery and post surgery care. But it was our best option for a procedure that is filled with a lot of potential complications so the decision was an easy one to make.
If you encounter a quack dentist look for another dentist immediately. There are really good conscientious dental professionals in most communities or within a reasonable drive unless you are really rural. I would not hesitate to report issues I knew to be improper. General Dental care should be considered an integral piece of our medical care since there is direct and significant correlation with our overall health. I suspect there may be a good many Dentists that might argue otherwise. Why? No idea. Money and power perhaps.


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[Joe (SoCal)]

This is the moment you need to call a lawyer. I've never been litigious person. I was hit by a minivan that ran through a red light and broke my wrist and damaged my Vespa. I never thought about contacting anyone I just wanted my vespa repaired. I brought it to my Vespa mechanic and he said take this card call this law firm. I did and the insurance company wrote me a $50,000 check. More than covered my vespa repair.

[CWSmith]

Yes, the fixes so far have been no charge (surgery covered by government). The issue is that where they have been sending us for the fixes are a long way to travel, expensive both for direct costs and lost time at work.

To be honest, that surprises me. You don't have a decent dentist or oral surgeon closer?

[Steve McMahon]

You're not pushing back. You're standing up for yourself.

A yup. But what is a reasonable position to take? I’ve been in business for over 3 decades and I know stuff happens,I get that. They gave a quote of about $5200.00 for the bridge. Their mistakes, the surgery required to repair the impression material left in the gums, and now the bridge falling out have cost me 3 days of lost work and 1600km of travel. Would I be out of line suggesting they go good for at least 1/2 of the travel cost, maybe $500.00 or so? That’s just real out of the pocket cost, no consideration for lost time at work, about $300/day or the stress and pain my sweetie has endured.

[Breakaway]

They should reimburse ALL costs required to make this right.

Kevin

[Steve McMahon]

To be honest, that surprises me. You don't have a decent dentist or oral surgeon closer?

Our dentist is 45 minutes away, Baie Verte. He’s only there a couple of days a week. Basic care only. The same “company” has a more comprehensive office in Grand Falls Windsor, a 2 hour drive each way. Their dental surgeon is in Gander, a 3 hour drive each way.

I’m not even going to talk about doctors….. hence the reason we are in serious downsizing mode, house on the market, looking west. Our medical clinic now has zero doctors, a phone appointment is 2 months wait. My sweetie is 55 years a type 1 diabetic and I’m pushing 60 and dancing with thyroid issues. Flock the dental stuff, we can’t even get basic blood work right now.

[garland reese]

Wow Steve. That is no bueno. I am Type I. Access to good emergency care is vital for you guys.


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[Paul Pless]

Flock the dental stuff, we can’t even get basic blood work right now.

and to think american liberals want us to move to canadian like health care system

[wizbang 13]

You're not pushing back. You're standing up for yourself.

He’s not standing up for his self, he’s standing up for his wife .
Your wife should be the “man” here.
We have boats to build.

[John B]

I think you'll have to ramp up a level , Steve, maybe hold the full A hole level back for a while.
We're in an insurance battle at the moment, we stayed nice for a month or so, we went to a stage 2 email about 2 weeks ago followed by an 'assertive ' phone conversation. Voila, some action..
Still unresolved , but progress.

[Canoeyawl]

"Foreign Body" after surgery seems like a no brainer
Get an attorney...
That dentist screwed up and has insurance to cover said "screw-ups"

edit: let the attorney be the ahole, he does that for money

[WszystekPoTrochu]

Why did you travel that far to a dentist?
1) Friend's recommendation/good internet reviews? Ask a lawyer what are the expected costs and gains on a messed up work, maybe ask if it's possible that another dentist un-messes up this job on grounds of lost faith
2) No other/better options within 200km radius? Talk to the guy, have the bridge repaired since they've already offered to do it anyway, avoid conflict.

Their - surely accidental - negligence cost you a lot of money, and pain, and burden. Unless you're shouting, a demand of compensation for at least the fuel does not sound rude to me. Just make sure the compensation is not net loss, see pt 2

[Steve McMahon]

Why did you travel that far
No other/better options within 200km radius?

2

If you google my location you will see, I live on a rock in the middle of the North Atlantic, about the size of Germany. Population of about 520,000. Most of the population concentrated in the city of St John’s about 6 hours away, and small cities of Corner Brook and Grand Falls Windsor each about 2 - 2 1/2 hours away. We have an understaffed medical clinic in a small town 45 minutes away that has a part time doctor and a part time dentist in the same town who comes out from Grand Falls Windsor a couple of days a week. The town I live in has a population of 312. That being said, when we were given the recommendation for my wife to get a dental bridge we were assured all the work would be done in the local office 45 minutes away where we get our normal dental care.

[epoxyboy]

Don't ask, won't get. You have nothing to lose, and definitely not being an *hole.
Anyway, I'm sure the guy has liability insurance, it's not like he'll be out of pocket.

Pete

[WszystekPoTrochu]

You have nothing to lose, and definitely not being an *hole.

That's the catch - if after making things right a next dental checkup would require taking a plane, maybe justice - sadly - isn't worth it...

[Canoeyawl]

I would rather fly to a surgery than use a doc that leaves bits inside me...
A serious business which could easily have led to sepsis and death

[chas]

"I’m Canadian, worse than that I’m East Coast Canadian. It’s not normal for us to push back."

I wouldn't trade this for the opportunity to be an ar$ehole, even once. In one hand, laid-back Maritimer; on the other hand, Ar$ehole! Maybe ask your wife who she wants to spend all that time in a truck with?

On another note, you mentioned visiting kids in Calgary and above spoke of moving west; are you Alberta-bound? With health reasons predicating our decision, we have recently left the coast and our boating lifestyle behind, settling in Stampede City to be closer to family. If you make it out this way again give me a shout; might be good to meet another forumite and have the chance to talk boats, and other stuff. All the best with the health issues, and moving. / Jim

[Steve McMahon]

"I’m Canadian, worse than that I’m East Coast Canadian. It’s not normal for us to push back."

I wouldn't trade this for the opportunity to be an ar$ehole, even once. In one hand, laid-back Maritimer; on the other hand, Ar$ehole! Maybe ask your wife who she wants to spend all that time in a truck with?

On another note, you mentioned visiting kids in Calgary and above spoke of moving west; are you Alberta-bound? With health reasons predicating our decision, we have recently left the coast and our boating lifestyle behind, settling in Stampede City to be closer to family. If you make it out this way again give me a shout; might be good to meet another forumite and have the chance to talk boats, and other stuff. All the best with the health issues, and moving. / Jim

I will look you up. Yes, we are in the major downsizing mode with the house for sale and an eye to move to Calgary. Health care, grand kids etc. I want to semi retire, have some options of flexible work in the field of forensic engineering for fire and flood with a focus on the electrical aspect. Das boot, my inherited 16’ Mahone Bay Plycraft is a challenge. Lots of places to use it on lakes in AB , but the cost of shipping it (about 10k) and the cost of storing it (about 5k a year) is a challenge. Our destination, daughter’s house has a two car garage and no driveway, no yard to speak of. Only option is rented off site storage.

[LeeG]

Damn. I’m generally a nice guy but once in a while I need an excuse to express my manhood and be an ahole.

You’ll regret it though.