I have four misaligned front teeth and some crowding. I went to my dentist to discuss braces. He mentioned that he could fix my smile without braces using porcelain veneers and some bonding. That sounded really exciting to me so I agreed. Over nine thousand dollars later where he did do veneers and bonding, along with the reshaping of my bottom teeth, which we never discussed (so that really annoys me), my smile is not better, just maybe a little whiter. I asked him what would actually straighten the teeth as he originally promised and now he’s saying I need four dental crowns and a root canal treatment, which will be an additional charge. Can he do this?
Liz
Dear Liz,
The short answer is while he CAN do it, he is in the wrong and you can recoup your money. Before I list any steps for you, make certain you do not allow this dentist to do one more thing for you. Nothing. Then, the first thing I want you to do is to get a second opinion from an expert cosmetic dentist. I want you to look for someone who is AACD accredited. These are the best cosmetic dentists in the country. Have him document everything that is wrong with your case. Make sure he looks into that suddenly needed root canal treatment. That seems suspect to me. It is also unethical for him to do work on your bottom teeth without your permission.
Then, the next step is for you to simply ask him for a refund. If he says no, show him what the other cosmetic dentist said about his work. If he’s still unwilling to refund your money, you have some other bits of recourse.
- You can tell him you will be writing a review in detail of how he ripped you off and left you with an unattractive smile to warn other patients not to see him.
- You can tell him you’ll be talking to the dental board about his unethical behavior, ie. not delivering the result he promised, doing other work without your permission…
- You can tell him you’ll be contacting an attorney. His malpractice insurance will probably tell him to settle.
I hope this helps and I am sorry you had to experience this. Once you secure your refund, you can get the smile you wanted with the more qualified cosmetic dentist.
This blog is brought to you by Des Moines Iowa Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Phelan Thomas.
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