Dental treatment NHS. Poor practice.??

mingualez

My wife is a paid NHS patient. Her dentist carried a filling out on a back tooth that had what appeared a small amount of decay. She had, had x-rays done prior to treatment! Whilst applying treatment (drilling) the dentist said the filling was more severe than anticipated as he discovered a hair line crack. Would this not of been present on xray? He asked the dental nurse to make up more filling than initially asked for. He said to my wife it may be an idea to think about having the tooth removed and a bridge put in. Surely a tooth in such need of drastic treatment would of shown on x-ray. I and my wife believe he cracked the tooth and proceeded to look for a bigger pay day.
My wife had the filling completed (Oct 2013) The tooth felt a little sensitive as often the case I guess after a filling, few weeks post treatment. But now is in daily mild dis comfort.
My wife has found a new dentist.
Can we ask for all the x-rays prior to her treatment. Can we make the dentist pay for damage to tooth if it transpires the crack is not present in x-rays?
I also understand there is a regional dental office for complaints etc?? I live in Essex, but cannot find a contact.

Many thanks for your attention in advance!

Toothsmith

Cracked teeth are very hard to see clinically, and the cracks don't show up on x-ray.

Crazing and minor cracks can sometimes be seen on the surface of the tooth, but a dentist has no idea how far into a tooth these extend until there is a need to go into the tooth. Most often they are only superficial and minor.

Sometimes, the symptoms a patient is feeling can give a clue that there might be something serious going on, but often these things are a complete surprise to everybody.

Of course - without seeing your wife, and without seeing her before anything was actually done, it is impossible to know for sure exactly what is going on here. But from what you write, what you have been told certainly sounds reasonable.

welshdent

I have discovered stacks of cracks to teeth under fillings. Not one of them has been visible on an x ray. Yuo do not know they are there if they are not causing pain and only become apparent when you take out the filling. If the crack is too severe i.e. across the floor of the cavity then there is nothing else than can be done in most cases. Sometimes you can try and remove half the tooth and root fill whats left but the outlook is not great for them. Unfortunately when it happens it us usually a case of "one of those things" ... so no it doesnt sound like poor practice to me. Without examining her though it is impossible to say.
You can request the practice records but they would charge for it. Although it sounds to me ... and I dont mean to sound rude ... but you have leaped before speaking to them by finding a new dentist. What would have been poor practice is had they not said anything at all. The last dentist is just trying to manage what your wife presented them with.

ripplyuk

I've had experience of going through the complaints process. First with the Dental practice itself which took over a year, then with the Ombudsman, who threw it out because it was over a year since the 'incident', now with the General Dental Council but I'm beginning to realise it's probably hopeless. My last resort will be to sue but that'll cost me and I'm in debt with the cost of dental treatments since.

I believe the problem is that none of these agency's have actually seen and examined anyone's teeth prior to the incident therefore no one can tell if this was caused by the dentist or was always there/due to self neglect or other reasons. It doesn't seem to matter that I had no dental problems before and only seen my dentist for 6 monthly check ups, and ever since that day, it's non stop treatments trying to repair the damage.

I know a fracture is often impossible to see on x-Ray and it may well not be the dentist at fault in your situation but I wanted to let you know that the complaints process is another nightmare!

Toothsmith

ripplyuk wrote: »

I've had experience of going through the complaints process. First with the Dental practice itself which took over a year, then with the Ombudsman, who threw it out because it was over a year since the 'incident', now with the General Dental Council but I'm beginning to realise it's probably hopeless. My last resort will be to sue but that'll cost me and I'm in debt with the cost of dental treatments since.

I believe the problem is that none of these agency's have actually seen and examined anyone's teeth prior to the incident therefore no one can tell if this was caused by the dentist or was always there/due to self neglect or other reasons. It doesn't seem to matter that I had no dental problems before and only seen my dentist for 6 monthly check ups, and ever since that day, it's non stop treatments trying to repair the damage.

I know a fracture is often impossible to see on x-Ray and it may well not be the dentist at fault in your situation but I wanted to let you know that the complaints process is another nightmare!

Dentists often feel that complaints processes are heavily weighted in the patient's favour. The fact that you've not been able to make progress suggests to me that there is probably very good evidence that this isn't really the fault of a dentist, but just one of those things.

I would try and come to terms with that rather than tie yourself in knots over it

ripplyuk

Toothsmith wrote: »

The fact that you've not been able to make progress suggests to me that there is probably very good evidence that this isn't really the fault of a dentist, but just one of those things.

I would try and come to terms with that rather than tie yourself in knots over it

Toothsmith, I appreciate that most of the time people just need someone to blame but sometimes the dentist really is at fault. In my case, the problem was obvious and other dentists, even at the same practice, were shocked and said they couldn't understand why this was done. The dentist also did not ask for consent. I was soon told the dentist in question was "No longer working at the practice".

I believe it is important in cases such as mine that a complaint is made, if only to help prevent the same thing happening to others in the future.

Toothsmith

Ahhh - that can be a problem. Especially if it's a foreign dentist and they've gone home.

mingualez

Thanks for replies.

I know it's hard to say with out seeing. But the dentist thought it was a routine filling. Found a crack and filled deeper.
Doesn't pulling a tooth and adding a bride sound a little excessive??

ripplyuk

What does the new dentist say? Perhaps another opinion on it would be useful. I think if a fractured tooth has to come out, the only options are a bridge, implant or removable partial denture.

Toothsmith

mingualez wrote: »

Thanks for replies.

I know it's hard to say with out seeing. But the dentist thought it was a routine filling. Found a crack and filled deeper.
Doesn't pulling a tooth and adding a bride sound a little excessive??

Adding a bride does!!!

But no - I can see a situation where a routine looking filling can go nasty quite unexpectedly. It does happen. It has happened to me.

welshdent

And me, I have seen it twice in the last month alone