Gum graft for implant

Thanks for the response

I mentioned in my OP that i realize there was risk with any surgeries. It was frustrating to have doctors contradict each other.

i just found out that they scraped too much gum in the intial surgery that they bothered the screw and had to take it out and put it back in.

If you say 20 stitches is not completely out of line than that makes me feel better. I just feel that they made mistakes during surgery and then tried to correct them during it. Thats why it took 5 hours. That would be ok if they told us straight away there were a few problems. But, we are just finding out about these problems 10 days later.

Thanks for the response again.

Even sillier question

"If not, why is dentistry treated differently from its big brother medicine?"

Maybe because dentistry operates for the most part, like a cash business and so it is a commercialized, fee for service industry that drives patients to respond like consumers. No money .... no treatment. Screw it up...I want my money back or make it right.

Whoa, a little defensive? I never said anything about lawsuit or settlement.

Case in point- I have an implant that cost $4000 all said and done cash up front, that is probably failing after just 12 weeks because it is in the wrong position. So you are saying oh well? Cough up more money for a gum graft and redo crown, it's my body's fault? really? My surgeon said he stood behind his work, I'm guessing he makes it right, unfortunately its not going to be easy for me. Go back to the OP, he asked if something was wrong in the technique, not everything was done so straight forward and the graft failed. Medicine has standards of care and EBP to follow, dentistry won't commit.

You're right, medicine has become somewhat consumer driven because of out of pocket co-pays and insurance premiums that employers used to pay. Gone are the days when patients say "yes doctor" when they are told to go somewhere for care- they make more intelligent decisions driven by quality, customer service and finally price. Hence the advertisements. The difference is that dentistry is no where near a managed care delivery model or drowning in charity care. How many insurance plans do you participate in? are you fighting to be on the plan for sheer volume so that you can stay in business yet accept what they pay, even if it barely covers your cost? I hardly think so. Do you take medicaid? how many self pay, charity care cases do you do a year? Are you under EMTALA regulations to see all emergencies that present to you regardless of ability to pay. I'm not deluded, I'm a health care professional with an MBA.

The true medical/dental emergency that you describe crosses over and is covered under medical care and yeah we get those in the ER everyday and yet we can't do definitive care except admit and then extract in the OR. Haven't seen many endo's taking no pay patients or free clinics offering the service so it gets dumped on your big brother.

Perhaps you'd be happier under the NHS, where dentists do all they can to avoid providing basic services, even cleanings, because it's not worth their time, rather than Amercia where we upsale unnecessary services without informed concent, cause harm, hire lawyers.

Kim,

If you read the OP and my other post multiple times you would clearly see that it was the other doctors at the practice who admitted the Operating doctor made a mistake. He put too much gum in the graft area and it did not take. We got this news 10 days after the surgery.

The dental assistant also told us that she told the OD that she thought he was using too much gum. The OD disagreed and went forward.

We had 2 doctors and an assistent tell us the OD messed up. I am not speculating, i am stating facts.

The OD is now on vacation until january.

If you read my posts..i also stated that even though i feel like the dentist should foot the bill if we wanted to switch dentists...that i realize there is risk with any surgeries.

I came here looking for advice from dentists, if anyone else had similar situations and maybe even for a little sympathy.

i did not come here to spout out hatred for dentists and to preach a lawsiut...just to state that we feel stuck cause we want to switch dentists but we cannot afford to pay another dentist since we already paid this one.

Its a horrible bind for a customer to be in.