A What would you do question for ya'll

[Mtbrncofn]

I need some feedback.

Two days ago I was at the dentist having an insane amount of fillings done, and it was taking so long that some of the anesthetic had worn off. I have all my wisdom teeth and apparently dentists absolutely hate that fact. I also have a very small mouth to go with those wisdom teeth. ( I know, hard to believe, huh. ) That makes for no room to work on those damn wisdom teeth.

My dentist started drilling on one of the wisdom teeth, and I could feel it. So I told her, and she gave me more of the anesthetic. When she did it, I felt this weird electric shock thing in the middle of my bottom lip. I jumped, she jumped, and never thought anything more about it.

Fast forward to 12 hours later that night. I still can't feel part of my face. I'm beginning to think there is probably something wrong. I had fillings done last week also, and the stuff wore off in about 2 hours. Anyway, to make a long story short, turns out she either partially severed or fully severed a nerve. She has been a dentist for 30 years and only had this happen one other time. Go figure my number would come up. This can take up to 6 months to come back. Joyous.

So my question here would be: Should I get some kind of discount or I'm sorry that I ****ed up your face percentage off for this crap? The dentist is a real sweetheart as is everyone else in the office, but all of my friends seem to think I should have at least gotten some of my money back.

What do you guys think?

[DBroncos4life]

Two things I guess go find someone to see if there is any really wrong with your mouth and maybe talk to a lawyer. Im not saying sue but he sometimes having them talk to the doctor it will speed them up and maybe they will offer you some money back.

[Crushaholic]

Listen to Bill Cosby's old "Dentist" routine and get a good laugh out of it. It portrays pretty much what you were describing. ROFL!

[Mtbrncofn]

Ok, maybe you missed the part where I said, I can't feel part of my face. That constitutes as something wrong in my book.

These people are so nice, I would never want to mention the L word. I was just trying to think of a tactful way of posing it.

[Crushaholic]

Ok, maybe you missed the part where I said, I can't feel part of my face. That constitutes as something wrong in my book.

These people are so nice, I would never want to mention the L word. I was just trying to think of a tactful way of posing it.

I guess there really is something wrong if you still don't have sensation in your face. The part about the Cosby routine refers to not feeling one side of his face. However, it should have gone away, by now. I don't know... hmmm...

[TheNextStep]

Talk to a lawyer. For one thing, in all the paperwork you had to sign at the dentist's office, liability waivers are usually included (not that it is necessarily enforceable, by the way). For another, you're looking at paying for (a) a procedure that will leave you injured for up to 6 months and (b) any associated medical costs as a result of the injury.

I'm not saying "Go after 'em for everything they're worth" because I personally get a little disgusted by our overly-litigious society where people try to turn an honest mistake into a retirement fund... but I am saying that you shouldn't have to pay for being injured, nor should you shoulder the cost of rehabilitating from that injury.

[Mtbrncofn]

I meant that for DB, Crush. Sorry about that.

I went back in today and she said that is what happened and was feeling terrible about it. I'm just hoping that it comes back in say a couple of weeks versus a couple of months or so. It's a pretty good sized area of my face. It starts at the left side corner of my mouth and goes all the way back to the hinge part of my jaw, up to right under my cheekbone.

[DBroncos4life]

Ok, maybe you missed the part where I said, I can't feel part of my face. That constitutes as something wrong in my book.

These people are so nice, I would never want to mention the L word. I was just trying to think of a tactful way of posing it.



I meant go see a doctor to see what kind of nerv damage you have. My syatic (sp) nerve in my shoulder is paralyzed and my deltoid (sp) muscle is messed up because of it. It took many doctors to find out what was wrong with me. Now about the lawyer idea, use them as a mediator. Thats the only thing I could think of.

[Mtbrncofn]

Talk to a lawyer. For one thing, in all the paperwork you had to sign at the dentist's office, liability waivers are usually included (not that it is necessarily enforceable, by the way). For another, you're looking at paying for (a) a procedure that will leave you injured for up to 6 months and (b) any associated medical costs as a result of the injury.

I'm not saying "Go after 'em for everything they're worth" because I personally get a little disgusted by our overly-litigious society where people try to turn an honest mistake into a retirement fund... but I am saying that you shouldn't have to pay for being injured, nor should you shoulder the cost of rehabilitating from that injury.


Yeah, I am definitely not the suing type. There really is no rehab involved. There's nothing you can do except sit and wait for the nerve to regenerate. It's annoying, mostly because I keep biting the side of my cheek and not knowing I have done it til I taste blood.

Is this the kind of thing I approach them about and if so, how would I go about that?

[Mtbrncofn]

I meant go see a doctor to see what kind of nerv damage you have. My syatic (sp) nerve in my shoulder is paralyzed and my deltoid (sp) muscle is messed up because of it. It took many doctors to find out what was wrong with me. Now about the lawyer idea, use them as a mediator. Thats the only thing I could think of.

Ahh, ok, I see where you were going with that now. I just hate to bring even the mention of a lawyer into it. I was really just hoping for a big discount on that day's work. I just paid them $1800 to have all this stuff done, damnit!

[TheNextStep]

Let me ask this: How much did it cost you? Is the amount enough to get worked up over?

If it is, I'd talk to a lawyer. If it isn't, I'd either try to talk to them about it or else I'd chalk it up to bad luck and move on.

[Mtbrncofn]

Btw, it has been almost 3 days now, and nothing is coming back yet. Send some good vibes my way, guys and gals. Maybe it'll last the minimum instead of the max. :)

[DBroncos4life]

Ahh, ok, I see where you were going with that now. I just hate to bring even the mention of a lawyer into it. I was really just hoping for a big discount on that day's work. I just paid them $1800 to have all this stuff done, damnit!


well I would have thought they would have offered you something already. It sucks man I know. My whole left arm feels like its a sleep and it will be that way for the rest of my life. I would hate to have something like that happen to my face.

[Mtbrncofn]

Let me ask this: How much did it cost you? Is the amount enough to get worked up over?

If it is, I'd talk to a lawyer. If it isn't, I'd either try to talk to them about it or else I'd chalk it up to bad luck and move on.

Well for that half of the fillings, it was $800. It comes straight out of pocket, so yeah it's not a drop in the bucket for us. We don't have insurance either.

If I try to talk to them, what exactly do you think I should say?

[Mtbrncofn]

well I would have thought they would have offered you something already. It sucks man I know. My whole left arm feels like its a sleep and it will be that way for the rest of my life. I would hate to have something like that happen to my face.

Yikes. At least this is only temporary, they say. I'd hate to have something like you have for the rest of my life!

[TheNextStep]

Well for that half of the fillings, it was $800. It comes straight out of pocket, so yeah it's not a drop in the bucket for us. We don't have insurance either.

If I try to talk to them, what exactly do you think I should say?
Seriously, if it's $800, I'd talk to a lawyer. Most of them will listen to you and tell you whether or not you have a case without charging you. So... go talk to somebody who has an actual knowledge of whether you legally have a leg to stand on before you do anything else. Whether you decide to sue or try to work it out with the dentist on your own after that is up to you... but at least find out what your options are from somebody who would be better qualified to tell you than a bunch of internet schmucks like us.

[Candy Cigarettes]

MT-
Nerves can be damaged in all sorts of dental procedures, even when just receiving a shot of novocaine. Typically, dentists give you a timeframe of up to six months to recover feeling, but sometimes they don't tell you that the nerve may not heal by itself. Severed nerves may require an operation (suturing or replacement). I would get further info from your dentist on exactly what she thinks is wrong and some sort of assurance that this will be taken care of. Also, look at your dental and health insurance policies (if you have one) to see what is covered. If you do a Google search using the terms - dentist severed nerve - you will come across some articles on nerve damage. Having part of your face numb for an extended amount of time would be miserable. Hope it heals up soon!

[Broncoman13]

Being that it is not permanent I wouldn't necessarily bring in a lawyer though they would be able to address the situation if you don't have success.

Personally, I would be going through the exact same thing you are. I would feel terrible asking for anything back, even though the service provided wasn't "up to par". It won't be easy, but you should approach the dentist herself. Let her know that you feel terrible about the whole thing but you feel that this service is not on par with the services normally received in her office. Like you said, she feels bad for the incident, but feeling bad doesn't exactly pay the piper. Hopefully she'll understand where you are coming from and agree that the service wasn't what you paid for and offer to return some of, if not all of your money. Hope everything works out for you and I'm happy to see you're still carrying the title of NON-SMOKER!!!!!!!

[Mtbrncofn]

Thanks all for the advice, even you schmucks as TNS puts it. :D

That is how it happened, with the shot of novocaine. I did go back in this morning so she could see exactly what had happened and see what I could and couldn't feel. Basically, it's a rarity, but it happens. I was secretly hoping that after all her apologies, she would say that they were refunding part of my money, but alas....no such statement was made.

[Mtbrncofn]

Being that it is not permanent I wouldn't necessarily bring in a lawyer though they would be able to address the situation if you don't have success.

Personally, I would be going through the exact same thing you are. I would feel terrible asking for anything back, even though the service provided wasn't "up to par". It won't be easy, but you should approach the dentist herself. Let her know that you feel terrible about the whole thing but you feel that this service is not on par with the services normally received in her office. Like you said, she feels bad for the incident, but feeling bad doesn't exactly pay the piper. Hopefully she'll understand where you are coming from and agree that the service wasn't what you paid for and offer to return some of, if not all of your money. Hope everything works out for you and I'm happy to see you're still carrying the title of NON-SMOKER!!!!!!!

I guess I will just bite the bullet and talk to her about it. I am not good about this kind of stuff. I get chickened out quickly with stuff like this. They are so damn nice in there, they have to take it well....I hope.

Thanks for the non-smoker thing too, B-Man! Three weeks tomorrow! !Booya!

[Broncoman13]

Sounds like you may need to bring it up to her yourself. I don't know your pain, but understand what you're going through. Feeling bad, like I said before doesn't make up for a poor service. Hate to put the pressure on but you need to step up to the plate and let her know what you think.

[Mtbrncofn]

Is there a time frame on this? It might take a week or so for me to get up the courage to do this. ;)

[Broncoman13]

Looks like you have tomorrow to do it or all weekend long to think about it. I wouldn't be to hasty, but certainly don't want to give it a week or anything. I'd bring up the tasting blood part to support your argument too!

[Mtbrncofn]

Really? I was hoping you'd come back and say I had at least TWO weeks to think it over. Ha!

Man, I am a pansy.
Aha! I do have all weekend. They don't work on Fridays.

[Candy Cigarettes]

Really? I was hoping you'd come back and say I had at least TWO weeks to think it over. Ha!

Man, I am a pansy.
Aha! I do have all weekend. They don't work on Fridays.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/candycigarettes/chicken.gif

[Rock Chalk]

I need some feedback.

Two days ago I was at the dentist having an insane amount of fillings done, and it was taking so long that some of the anesthetic had worn off. I have all my wisdom teeth and apparently dentists absolutely hate that fact. I also have a very small mouth to go with those wisdom teeth. ( I know, hard to believe, huh. ) That makes for no room to work on those damn wisdom teeth.

My dentist started drilling on one of the wisdom teeth, and I could feel it. So I told her, and she gave me more of the anesthetic. When she did it, I felt this weird electric shock thing in the middle of my bottom lip. I jumped, she jumped, and never thought anything more about it.

Fast forward to 12 hours later that night. I still can't feel part of my face. I'm beginning to think there is probably something wrong. I had fillings done last week also, and the stuff wore off in about 2 hours. Anyway, to make a long story short, turns out she either partially severed or fully severed a nerve. She has been a dentist for 30 years and only had this happen one other time. Go figure my number would come up. This can take up to 6 months to come back. Joyous.

So my question here would be: Should I get some kind of discount or I'm sorry that I ****ed up your face percentage off for this crap? The dentist is a real sweetheart as is everyone else in the office, but all of my friends seem to think I should have at least gotten some of my money back.

What do you guys think?

Dude, WTF are you doing on a message board? If that sh*t happend to me Id be in Aruba or Hawaii soaking it up after suing that bitch for millions.

[Tredici]

Dude?

Montana,

Jeez, you quit smoking too soon. Right now a ciggy would just fall out of your mouth... Okay, just kidding.

There isn't a time frame. In fact the longer your face stays numb, the longer the time frame is extended.

Here's an idea. If this is something you would have a hard time dealing with face to face, write down your feelings and concerns and send it by mail. You don't have to be accusatory or offensive. Should worse come to worse and you needed further procedures it would probably be better to have documented a discussion, anyway. Plus, when you write it out you have the chance to edit and make sure you are comfortable instead of blurting something out when you are in a situation where you might feel uncomfortable.

Good luck, and I hope things are going better.

[Mile High Shack]

Good lord MT!!! I hope you get better, that truly, truly, truly sucks. I hate dentists

First you break your ass now this!!!

[fontaine]

Ok, maybe you missed the part where I said, I can't feel part of my face. That constitutes as something wrong in my book.

These people are so nice, I would never want to mention the L word. I was just trying to think of a tactful way of posing it.

Man, genuinely sorry to hear about that mtbrncofn.

Here's what I think:

1. You paid these people for a service and with that service there is a level of quality you expect. Plus, you handed them a perfectly good, sizeable chunk of change, why should their service be any less than satisfactory?

2. Consult a lawyer. I'm not saying take 'em to the cleaners but get all of facts from a litigation point of view and most importantly what rights/options you have. When you have the bigger picture of all your choices, including, yes, litigation, then you can make the best possible decision for yourself.

3. Lastly, I wouldn't lose too much sleep over these people being nice etc. If they are reputable, then they should be insured for a contingency just like this. The results clearly show the dentist f***ed up, let her insurance company worry about any compenstation instead of you worrying about her.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Yeah, I am definitely not the suing type. There really is no rehab involved. There's nothing you can do except sit and wait for the nerve to regenerate. It's annoying, mostly because I keep biting the side of my cheek and not knowing I have done it til I taste blood.

Is this the kind of thing I approach them about and if so, how would I go about that?

You need to see a doctor ASAP and get an evaluation. If the medical doctor doesn't feel he or she has the expertise to evaluate your condition (or you're not confident in their evaluation) have them refer you to a specialist (probably a Neurologist). Nerve damage is a very complex injury! Don't settle for "it should be OK in time" from your dentist. They are NOT medical doctors!!
Regarding legal ramifications for your dentist's medical mistake, the above advice should probably be followed first.

[DarkHorse30]

First, find another dentist. You don't want this happening again (fool me once...) People are human and they make mistakes, but they should pay for the mistakes they make. The fact that your kind, caring, mistake-prone dentist isn't making this easier for you is evidence that you should find somebody that is up to snuff.....especially when the fee is all out of pocket.

Next, the idea about writing it out and sending an edited version to your dentist seems like a good idea. Maybe they can refund half your bill or something. You might try explaining that you don't want to consult a lawyer, but can't afford to pay for something that messed you up. Maybe the veiled threat of a lawsuit might be enough to get your dentist off his/her keyster and register his/her belly back up to the bar.

Also, when paying for medical services, always pay the minimum only for starters....especially if you haven't got insurance.

[Mtbrncofn]

Writing might be an option if I can't get up the courage to do it face to face. You guys are scaring me. I'm a chicken **** I told ya! I'm not looking for some big payday, just a discount on the stuff I have already paid for. Actually just a discount on the work that was performed that day!

Thanks to all of you for great advice. I knew I could count on you guys. :)


P.S. Cripes, Shack....why ya gotta go bring up the ass thing again?

[Mile High Shack]

Writing might be an option if I can't get up the courage to do it face to face. You guys are scaring me. I'm a chicken **** I told ya! I'm not looking for some big payday, just a discount on the stuff I have already paid for. Actually just a discount on the work that was performed that day!

Thanks to all of you for great advice. I knew I could count on you guys. :)


P.S. Cripes, Shack....why ya gotta go bring up the ass thing again?

if they would've numbed your ass, then you would've been just fine ;)

hehe

[Mtbrncofn]

Dude?

Montana,

Jeez, you quit smoking too soon. Right now a ciggy would just fall out of your mouth... Okay, just kidding.




Ha! I seriously considered having one. The frustration was mounting and that was the first thing I thought of, but I made it through the temptation.

Thanks for the advice, Tred.

[Mtbrncofn]

if they would've numbed your ass, then you would've been just fine ;)

hehe

I see you're in rare form today. Ya smartass. :P

[Mile High Shack]

I see you're in rare form today. Ya smartass. :P
Look at it his way, you can say you can’t do certain things for you hubby since your mouth is numb……you have no control of the biting reflex ;)

LOL, I kid, I kid

Seriously though, it will come back, but I think they should give you 400 bucks back.

[Mtbrncofn]

Look at it his way, you can say you can’t do certain things for you hubby since your mouth is numb……you have no control of the biting reflex ;)

LOL, I kid, I kid

Seriously though, it will come back, but I think they should give you 400 bucks back.

Bwahahahahaha! I am gonna use that one. Thanks, Shack! I'll make sure I tell him it was you who gave me that suggestion. ;)

I agree...$400 seems reasonable to me. Anything would be nice.

[Mile High Shack]

Bwahahahahaha! I am gonna use that one. Thanks, Shack! I'll make sure I tell him it was you who gave me that suggestion. ;)

I agree...$400 seems reasonable to me. Anything would be nice.
I’m only here to help, as I do not want any married person having too much fun……..ya know make things equal and all for this rest of us poor schlubs

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Seriously though, it will come back, but I think they should give you 400 bucks back.

I'm glad you have confidence she doesn't have permanently damaged nerves.
Myself, I would immediately be seen by a specialist to determine the amount of damage.

[Mile High Shack]

I'm glad you have confidence she doesn't have permanently damaged nerves.
Myself, I would immediately be seen by a specialist to determine the amount of damage.

I'm trying to be postive, lighten up

[Mtbrncofn]

No worries, Shack. I appreciate the levity.