Dental treatment done without my consent -- advice needed

afm_2

Hello Everyone,

I am in need of some advice and hope someone in here will have the experience/knowledge to help me.

Long story:
Started having a very strong pain on left side of the mouth and went to the dentist for an emergency appointment. I was given antibiotics which didn't work. 2 days later, I went back and, as there was a tooth that needed a root filling, the dentist that saw me on the day removed the pulp of the tooth and put a temporary filling in. Again, pain didn't stop so I went back. This time, my usual dentist saw me. She decided to take an x-ray and said that she suspected there was a bit of decay on the side of the tooth next to the one that was treated. Thus, she drilled it and then said, that there was no decay. She put a temporary filling and sent me back home. Next day I couldn't take the pain and (as it was a Saturday) I had to go to the emergency. Top wisdom tooth was removed because the dentist couldn't see any other reason for the pain. However, the pain didn't go and I went abroad for 2 weeks. The worst holiday ever! I had excruciating pain for almost the whole holiday and an added pain on the tooth she "treated". I couldn't chew food using that tooth as it felt like something was going down into the gum and hurting a lot!
Today I went back and tried to explain this to her. She said she would have a look. She then started drilling the tooth and doing stuff to it that I though was to remove the temporary filling. However, she then started doing something with a tool like a needle that was hurting a lot. I told her to stop and asked what she was doing and she said: "I was removing the pulp of the tooth". Imagine my surprise! She didn't discuss it with me and I would have never let her do that as I don't trust her (because of something that happened before) but, given that the practice refused to move me to another dentist, and that it would take me 4 weeks to be seem at another practice, I had no other choice but to go back. Even worse, she "killed" the tooth and now says that she can't do the treatment through the NHS because I need microscopic root filling and will have to do it privately.

I just can't believe this! Can she do something like this without my consent? She hasn't discussed it with me and she doesn't explain anything and I have to keep asking. Is this normal? Shouldn't I have agreed in writing to this treatment?

Just before she's done this, she was saying that the tooth was cracked somewhere and that it would possibly have to be removed; then it wasn't there because that was a root it was somewhere else; then she called another dentist that said that there was no crack but that the roots where complicated in my teeth... I am lost!

I am afraid that now I will be faced with very high bills for treating this tooth privately for something that I am not even sure that was a problem in the first place. What are my rights? I can't pay for private treatment like this

Now the pain is worse again. I have two temporary fillings and I don't know where to go next I just can't be treated by her again.

I am very sorry for such a long post but I really need some advice.
Thanks you in advance for any help!

brook2jack

If you don't trust the dentist find another and start afresh.

From the sound of it you have a problem that is very difficult to diagnose. You have seen several people , had several teeth treated and the pain hasn't gone. Sometimes this happens as the nerve supply to teeth is very close together and it is difficult to sometimes find where the problem is particularly when teeth are starting to die off (pulpitis) or are cracked.

If when you drill a tooth you see a problem with the pulp (nerve) you have no choice but to remove it. It's not something you choose to do it's something you have to do if clinically necessary. That I don't see as a problem, the dentist was trying to relieve the pain that could very well have been caused by a dying pulp.

The problem is the root filling. I presume you are a nhs patient. If so the dentist is quite entitled to refer you to a specialist if it is a difficult root filling as they will have specialist equipment such as a microscope. I do not know of any nhs specialist endodontists except in very very rare circumstances. What your dentist cannot do is say I can't do this on the nhs but I will do it privately that is against regulations.

Trust is the most important aspect of dental treatment, sometimes finding and treating the cause of pain is difficult. Much of what you have reported is reasonable in trying to sort the pain out, and the fact it was painful to work on that tooth may suggest the nerve was irreversibly damaged and needed treatment, however you do not trust your dentist and obviously do not feel they communicate well. It would not seem sensible to stay there and you should seek recommendations for a practice you feel happier at.

afm_2

Thanks for your message. Do you you know if I can move to another dentist in the middle of a treatment? I have 2 temporary fillings and someone will have to finish the job and I don't know who would the fees be payable to.

Regarding the tooth that had the pulp removed, she didn't see a problem with it the first time she drilled the tooth. And she didn't mentioned any problem with it when treating me today. She just said she thought there was a crack on the tooth (which the other dentist said was not the case).

My main issue here is that the tooth was ok until she messed with it. It had never hurt before and now I have it without the nerve and I just can't understand why. Furthermore, I don't know what my options are and find it strange that she carried this out without informing me. Shouldn't she have told me that she was going to do it? I she had, I would oppose to it and leave.

What I find more frustrating is that I try to explain what the pain is like and where it is, and she doesn't listen. I have told her several times that there's a cracking noise coming from the tooth when I drink (when there's a difference in temperature) and that I feel a lot of pain in between those two teeth. She ignored it every time

Thank you for your help!

afm_2

Sorry to be a pain but I was just reading about root canal filling online and saw that the nerve can be damaged when a deep filling is needed and that an indication that a tooth may need root filling is spontaneous pain or throbbing while biting. I have had this since she drilled it, but I didn't have it before. Could it be the case that she has damaged the nerve when she drilled the tooth?

Thanks and once again sorry for being a pain!

brook2jack

You are liable to pay for the treatment you have had do far but can move to another dentist to have the rest done.

You have had pain which has not been settled by treatment so far by several dentists. The emergency dentist took out a tooth which was not the problem, you obviously have a difficult to diagnose problem.

When you drill a tooth to investigate you take out all the old filling and that always runs the risk of disturbing the nerve, but you have to remove all the old stuff to do the job properly, and however carefully this is done this can irritate the nerve. Peopleoften say they had toothache because the dentist drilled too close to the nerve but you have to remove all of an old filling or decay and that will always carry the possibility of pulp (nerve) damage.

Cracked teeth are notoriously difficult to diagnose you cannot see a crack on x rays or often in the mouth and sometimes the only way to rule it out is take a filling out.

The fact that the pain is between the two teeth and you feel a cracking with temperature change is not particularly helpful in diagnosing what's going on and as several dentists who can actually see you have failed so far in diagnosing what it is that's going on it's unlikely someone will guess correctly over the Internet.

The main problem does not seem to be what the dentist did but how she communicated, which is vital for you as you already didn't trust her. Time has come to move on to someone you do trust and who communicates well.

afm_2

Thank you once again.

Just to make it clear, I am not expecting to be diagnosed over the internet. I just want to know what my right are given that I am not convinced that what she's done was do way to solve the problem and, even worse, she has now done something that wasn't discussed with me.

I don't know if you're a dentist but it seems to me that you have a good knowledge about this. Thus, just to be clear, would a bit of decay or a cracked tooth be the cause for pain on both the top an lower teeth on one side of the face?

Thank you!

brook2jack

The nerve supply to the mouth is very complicated and the nerves are very close together. It is quite common to get referred pain ie the pain in one tooth feels like it's coming from another, so eg a bad lower tooth can give pain that feels as if it's coming from a top tooth.

This is why it can be so difficult to pinpoint exactly which tooth is causing a problem. Sometimes you just have to investigate tooth after tooth by eg taking the filling out , until you find the right one. That has risks because every time you take a filling out you run the risk of stirring that tooth up but it's that or leave someone in pain.

It's really hard when someone presents in pain, the obvious causes have been eliminated and they are still in pain. You have to do something but cannot guarantee it's the right thing.

Several dentists have tried to sort your pain out they have taken another tooth out ,taken the pulp out of two other teeth with no relief from pain so it's obviously a difficult problem, but it's made worse because you do not trust your dentist. Move dentists. It will not make the diagnosis/treatment any easier but at least you should have confidence what is being done is done in your best interests to rid you of pain.

afm_2

What made it worse was the pain she added to the problem. I didn't feel this pain on the tooth before. She said she removed the pulp but it hurts a lot, in particular in between the two teeth. A tooth without the pulp shouldn't hurt as far as I know

I know that the nerves can make you feel pain in areas where there's no problem. For me, the least that should have been done would be to take an x-ray of the top teeth before doing anything to the lower tooth. How does she know that there's no problem on the top tooth?

It is easy to say to move to another dentist, but when you're in pain and all other dentists will take 2 to 3 weeks to see you for a checkup that is needed to be registered with them, you are left with no choice but to go back to the dentist that you don't trust but you're registered with. I have pain and I just don't know how I will get this solved.

brook2jack

A tooth without a pulp can easily hurt, it can be abcessed, it can be cracked and as you stopped her there might be some nerve left.

You've already had a top wisdom tooth out to try to sort the pain so did that dentist not x ray the top teeth?

Have you actually started phoning dentists to see if they can fit you in , have you mentioned you have toothache?

By my rough reckoning you have seen at least three different dentists to sort the pain out. Each has tried something different. Your own dentist obviously does not communicate with you well but on the face of it she has only been as unsuccessful at curing your problem as the others have.

It really is a recepie for disaster going back to see someone you don't trust, who treatment you doubt and who you feel doesn't communicate. You will never feel you have got the right treatment and this air of distrust will make treatment stressful for all.

Hit the phones on Monday.

afm_2

I didn't stop her. She finished the work.

Yes, the other dentist took an x-ray but that is not available to her as it was in the emergency services and not at the practice. She started treatment without looking at the top teeth and haven't done so so far. To me it just seems irresponsible. The wisdom tooth was taken because it had not bottom tooth to bite against and it had dropped a bit. Thus the dentist thought that it could be removed and, as sometimes these teeth cause this type of pain, he did that.

Yes, I saw two other dentists but none of them added pain. She has. On Friday I went there with just a discomfort and with the pain that just comes when I chew something using that tooth. Since Friday I have again the awful pain that is taking over my life. It just doesn't make sense to me... going to dentist and come back worse should not be way forward. And every time I go there, I have to wait another month for an appointment. Next appointment available is on the 3rd of October. This way I will have this pain for the next 5 years.

Yes, I have phoned 2 dentists in the area before I started this treatment. These are the only ones I can go to because I don't have the car available all the time. Both would take at least 2 weeks to see me just for a checkup and I mentioned the pain. They said nothing could be done because they first need a checkup to register me.

afm_2

I just read online that for RCT a rubber dam has to be used. The first dentist didn't use one. He only performed the first part of RCT. Would that have been needed?

My usual dentist used one for a while but then took it out because it was still letting stuff go to my throat. I thought that it's purpose was just to stop things going down to the throat. Will I even have less chances of saving these teeth because of this?

Thank you!