My dentist and I agreed that he would place six veneers on my upper front teeth. He spent a lot of time shaving my teeth before placing the temporary crowns. I thought it was an extensive amount of time and should have asked about it. Two teeth had root canals over six years ago. I felt pain in a root canal canine tooth, but my dentist said it was temporary discomfort. After seeing an endodontist, I learned that the tooth was infected and required removal. The endodontist did a repeat root canal on the other tooth. The endodontist confirmed that I had crowns, not porcelain veneers. My insurance company confirmed that the dentist submitted a claim for crowns, not porcelain veneers. I am hurt by the lies my dentist told, but I’ve had so much discomfort and expense with the damage to my teeth. I want to report the dentist, but I don’t know where to start. Thanks. Owen from GA
Owen,
If your dentist led you to believe you were receiving porcelain veneers but instead placed crowns, they may argue for flexibility in the definition of “veneers.” However, if their website accurately describes veneers in a way that contradicts the treatment you received, it indicates a lack of informed consent on their part. Performing a treatment without proper consent or complete information about the procedure can legally be considered assault, for which the dentist could be held accountable.
Porcelain veneers photos of Dr. LeSage’s patient. The procedure requires minimal tooth preparation.
Porcelain veneer procedures are more technically demanding than crown placement, leading some dentists to avoid them. Some dentists may offer excuses for why veneers aren’t suitable for a patient’s case, while others resort to deceptive practices. For example, some may use the term “360-degree veneers” to misrepresent crowns as veneers. Hopefully, your dentist did not use this tactic, which could have complicated your case.
It appears that the aggressive tooth preparation damaged your two root canal teeth. The complications are unlikely to have occurred if your dentist had conservatively prepared your teeth for porcelain veneers.
You may want to consider consulting a medical malpractice lawyer to discuss your options and report your concerns to the Georgia Board of Dentistry.