Expectation of formal complaint about dental treatment

Careful_with_that_Axe

Without going into too much details I have been to the dentist with emergency appointments last Friday, yesterday and today. The problem I was suffering from was almost identical to abcess pain in an area where I don't have teeth.
I kept saying to the dentist that it felt exactly like an infection; swollen gland on that side, earache, extreme pain and swelling inside mouth, but she refused point blank to consider infection and took numerous x-rays and an OPG (sp?) whole mouth x-ray and referred me to dental hospital for an urgent appointment under suspition of mouth cancer.
I virtually negged for antibiotics as I know my own body and how it reacts to infection, but she refused to prescribe these and said I had to wait for the hospital appointment which could take approx 3 weeks.

A member of my family saw the state I was in and called the GP who prescribed penicillin for oral cellulitis which could have developed into Ludwig's Angina; a potentially life threatening illness.

I intend to complain to the dental practice about the treatment I did (or didn't!) receive so no-one else has to suffer like this in the future. I think (personally) I would like a refund of all the costs I was charged in association with this and an apology, but do people feel this is reasonable?

I am a tough cookie, but have been in so much pain I have been in tears which is quite unlike me.

Would welcome peoples views on whether what I suggest as an outcome is reasonable under the circumstances?

Toothfairy4

Firstly, let me say that I am a dental hygienist incase anyone thinks I am being biased, i will try my best not to be.

Just want to ask, have the antibiotics have relieved your symptoms then?

From what you have written it appears that the dentist has done everything that she could to try and diagnose what was giving you the pain, she may have rightly (hopefully wrongly!) made the referral for investigation of oral cancer but this wouldn't have been done without her having some reason to suspect this, i expect from something she has seen on your x-ray.

However, I wasn't there and it's up to you whether you feel a complaint is reasonable. Although I don't think this sounds like a case of just being 'fobbed off' by the dentist as she appears to have tried her best to find out what was causing your pain.

Careful_with_that_Axe

Thank you for your response. Yes, the antibiotics have relieved the symptoms.

Yes, I do agree she was thorough about the possibility of mouth cancer and there were some bony changes which may indicate this, but she really didn't listen to me about my symptoms, the amount of pain I was in and what I thought was going on. She said as there was no pus, it could not possibly be an infection.

I think she got entirely hung up/distracted by the mouth cancer possibility and wouldn't consider that there might be something else going on as well as iyswim. By the time I saw her today I was in so much pain and that side of mouth was so swollen I was having great difficulty in swallowing and there was a small wound on my gum in the centre of the area showing symptoms. By this point I was feeling very ill indeed and had not been able to eat for 2 days.

You have given me an entirely different viewpoint to think of and I thank you for that and wonder if you feel differently now I've given a little bit more info?

Toothfairy4

Yes, I do see your point about feeling you were not being listened to

Oral cancer can show similar symptoms to those you have listed, swelling, tender lymph nodes etc. There has been a lot of emphasis put on recognising oral cancer in the last few years, both to patients and to dental professionals, meaning everyone is more aware of it now and looking out for it. The dentist may have made the wrong call in this situation, but it does sounds like she had your best interests at heart. Will you be going back to see her at all soon?

Careful_with_that_Axe

You have given me pause for thought about making a complaint.
I don't think I will go back to see her at all but I will keep the referral appointment when it comes through.

Yes, she may well have had my best interests at heart, but my underlying feeling is that it was unacceptable to leave me in that amount of pain for that long and expect me to just suffer til the appointment came through. Antibiotics would either have worked or not worked and I feel there was little at stake for trying them.

I do appreciate your input - thank you for your posts.

Toothsmith

I would just back the cart up a bit.

If it's in an area where you don't have any teeth,then what is the cause of the infection? They don't just occur out of the blue in a 'sealed' body spaces.

Where have the bacteria come from? What stopped the body's immune system from dealing with it? Did the Dr ask any of these questions, or just blindly prescribe an antibiotic to shut you up and move on to the next patient?

I have heard of Drs making some monumentally stupid mistakes by trying to deal with problems outside their expertise. Did the Dr suggest any further investigations of the problem?

It could easily be that the dentist should have prescribed antibiotics, but it strikes me that the dentist investigated things to a much greater extent than the Dr did. The Dr just did what you asked for. There's no way of really knowing yet if it even was the antibiotics that made it stop hurting.

I would certainly make sure you follow through the dentist's referal. Hopefully (and statistically the most likely thing) is that whatever the dentist has seen on the x-ray will turn out to be something quite minor like a small bit of retained root, or a cyst. But whatever it is, it will be the cause of the problem, and unless it's addressed, the same thing will happen again one day.

If, in the unlikely event of it being something more serious, it will be the dentist's investigations and referral, rather than the Dr 'doing as he was told' that will have saved your life.

I wouldn't be complaining just yet.

Careful_with_that_Axe

Toothsmith - I had a small cut on my gum likely to be the source of infection (from pressure point of new bridge) - was 1mm yesterday and 2 cm today. I have an auto-immune disease and am on steroids to kill off immune system which is why body would not fight infection. The gp I spoke to is the one who has been dealing with me for 7 years and was aware of my medical history. GP also asked why dentist said she would not prescribe antibiotics and why she had thought referral was necessary

I certainly will attend hospital appointment when it comes through - would be stupid not to considering the indications - bony changes are similar to honeycomb effect in lower right jaw with loss of hard bone and bone density.

I now think I will not complain as such but maybe express disappointment that I wasn't listened to and was left in such severe pain with an expectation that I would have to continue in that state for several weeks.

ETA: I am a reasonable person and my first post was an emotional one and the two of you have brought my rational being to the forefront and I thank you both for that.

Toothsmith

New bridge??

Was the area not x-rayed before provsion of that bridge? Bridge provided by that dentist?

Hmmm - I was assuming that the area with 'no teeth' was just a gap.

My defence of the dentist is looking a little frail!

Careful_with_that_Axe

Tee hee!
No x-rays taken prior to new bridge provided by the same dentist - have had numerous problems with fitting of it. Bridge was to replace an old one not provided by this dentist.

Toothfairy4

Thanks Toothsmith, good posts OP, when you have given us the other info about your recent bridge and medical history it seems a little more 'obvious' IYSWIM? I assume the dentist is aware of your med history?

Careful_with_that_Axe

Sorry - I couldn't see the trees for the wood *g* It's all so familiar to me that I forget to mention and am unsure what is relevant.
Yes she knew of medical history but didn't seem to understand it at all - I said I had X and Y and she looked up X in BNF. On the referral I kept havig to stress that I suffered from Y as well ans she was saying things like "but that's the same sort of thing isn't it". Well, yes it is the same sort of illness but has different symptoms iyswim. Does that makes sense??

So should I think of making pointed comments to the practice? Oh, also forgot to mention, GP made sure I was intending to follow up with hospital appointment before he prescribed.