My dentist told me i have gum disease after being a patient of his for 25 years. Do I have any legal recourse?
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I would hesitate to take the advise of a hygienist. You should seek a second opinion. Your dentist should know what gum disease looks like. If you have had regular check ups with him and he hasn't noticed anything, it may be a sign that there might not be any problems with your gums. But in any case, don't take the hygienist's, or the periodontist or your dentist's (and especially some stranger on YouQA.com ) word for it. Get a second opinion.
As far as legal course, if there is no malpractice (meaning no damage has been done by the dentist during surgery or treatment), then there is very little chance of you receiving any monetary gain.
sfm
I especially wouldn't take the advice of a hygienist that has an outdated education from over 21 years ago who probably doesn't have a law degree. People like that think they know more than someone who went to school to be a DOCTOR OF DENTISTRY.
I think I'm right on by stating that you should definitely get a second opinion.
Hmm well i say taht you could iwn wiht that in court
That really sucsk ... And it is a shame on them, of course. You've been doing your part, and they did not detect anything earlier? C'mon ... It's sad how these doctors around here only care about the money, never really about our health. I hope you can sue them and get money. Did you ask him why they did not see that before?
By the way, change your dentist.
well uhm if you get any diseases or w.e its not the dentist's fault. i mean, if you go to your skin doctor every month for 15yrs and in one of those months you get skin cancer its not the doctor's fault i would assume.
You might. The only way to know is to contact an attorney.
NO...don't be ridiculous! If it isn't heredity, then you are not following proper oral hygiene! You have to floss EVERYDAY. You have to brush TWICE A day. A cavity can develop in 22 hrs (so hense the twice daily brushing). I go to a GYN for annual check ups to prevent cervical cancer. if I get it, should I sue him??
I hate to tell you this but that MAY BE your body, not necessarily his ineptness as a dentist. I would get a second and third opinion. Go to a dental college, they will see you at next to nothing and there are professors there that can talk with you about it.
Sounds like his new hygienist is smarter then he is. I would find a new dental office to go to.
gum disease forms after warnings of gingivitis and stuff.i think they should have told you before you were on your way to gum disease. First consult that info with another dentist to be sure, then contact a lawyer..
I would say you have a pretty good case if you were never told about your gum condition prior to this or never given the option of having more extensive cleanings or even sooner recare visits under this dentists care. Do you smoke? Do you have Diabetes? Both these conditions can advance periodontal problems, but you still would have started with pockets of 4mm or more, not 8. This is called managed neglect and it is a very common situation in many dental offices.
sixfingeredman you are WAY OFF!!!!
Well, in today's litigious society, anyone can sue anyone for anything. Unfortunately for you, most jury members will put the value of your teeth right around the cost for the treatment to fix them, so you don't stand to profit from a law suit. I have seen pockets progress from 2mm to 8mm in a matter of just a few months in my practice. If the dentist was REALLY concerned only with the money he/she could make, he/she would have attempted to treat you themselves multiple times before referring you to a periodontist. You should thank your new hygienist, get the recommended treatment at the office of the specialist to whom you were referred, and save your teeth from bone loss and infection. Good luck.
I would like to give your dentist the benefit of the doubt. You have trusted him for this long. I am sorry you are having problems. I vote you get it fixed and maybe ask your current doctor if there was something you could have notice between now and six months ago to treat to problem sooner. (well for future reference) Good luck.
Periodontal diease (gum disease) does not happen overnight...it usually happens over time. There are signs that lead to periodontal diease. A 8mm pocket does not occur over 6months...if it did I would definitely see a periodontist for treatment. Many denist will let you know when periodontal treatment is necessary, but sometimes patient not listen. A dentist can only do so much. A good dentist would dismiss a patient who will not listen to proper treatment. Anyways, I feel bad you your situation, if your dentist did not review periodontal treatment with you in the past, then he did not do his job. Early periodontal disease can easily be treated.
you shouldnt be surprised,most americans have gum disease, its from eating horrible food like cakes and chips and donuts...but dont worry about suing,just try to fix your mouth, stop eating crap, stick to fruits vegetables chicken fish and eggs. the vegetables will help you the most to repair your gums.
stop using regular toothpaste and mouthwash it does more harm than good.
you should swish green tea in your mouth twice a day,and only brush using a soft bristled brush.if you can find cranberry juice concentrate add that to the green tea.
please try this it WILL work and let me know if you would like anyother information
A local dentist did the very same thing with me! He also screwed up a tooth with a poorly made/fitted filling, then charged me for redoing his own mistake! I went back to my old dentist a week later (he is 70mi from me and I used to work with him). He took one look in my mouth, probed all around my gums, and called the periodontist HIMSELF. I was in her office 30 minutes later. As it turned out, I needed surgery on all 4 quadrants, an extraction, and 6 bone grafts. My dentist also said I should have had a crown placed on the screwed-up tooth since there was so little of it left after the local quack had messed with it. I live in a small town, so spreading the word about the crummy dentist will have an effect on his business, thank God!!
I would definitely take the dentist to court, because 25 years worth of 6 month check-ups, you should have known a long time ago that you have periodontitis. There is no reason why he should have withheld the information from you.
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