I’m writing both as a warning to other patients who might be reading this and to ask a question. I lost all my teeth because of dental anxiety. I avoided the dentist like the plague and now I am paying the price for that. I am so angry at myself. I wish I had found a way to get past my anxiety. Anyway, I didn’t want dentures because I have heard about facial collapse. I wanted dental implants but did know how pricey they can be. I happened upon this dentist who said he was new in the area and as a means of developing his practice was discounting his prices signficantly. I thought I’d hit the jackpot of great opportunities. What a disaster this ended up being.
The implant crowns keep coming off and I’m left with a bunch of screws and gaps in my mouth, which is bloody and I can hardly eat. When I tried to get this fixed and threated to get a lawyer, my dentist skipped the country. Now there are rumors going around that he isn’t really a dentist, though I have seen no proof of that. I will never again think of cheep dental care as a good thing.
My question is what can I do about this? Is there anyway to salvage this or get my money back?
Christy
Dear Christy,
What a dental implant horror story! I am sorry this happened to you. It sounds like you have encountered a dental crook. Unfortunately, if he has truly skipped the country, then there is no way for you to recoup your money. This can however be fixed. The first thing you will have to do is have your dental implant case evaluated in order to find out what went wrong. That will determine your course of action from there.
As you have already discovered from difficult circumstances, a cheap dentist is sometimes the least affordable one you can use. Dental implant procedures are among the most advanced procedures a dentist can do. Training from their dental school will not be enough. Look for a dentist with post-doctoral training in dental implants and then have them evalate your case. They can tell you what has to happen from there. Do not be afraid to see more than one dentist about this.
As for your dental anxiety. I know that your teeth are already gone. However, there may be people reading this in the same situation. I suggest those with real dental fear see a sedation dentist. It is lifechanging and can give you pain-free/anxiety-free dental implants.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. Fred Arnold.