Incompetent Dentist

9 replies

williteverend99 · 06/12/2018 19:40

Went to a new dentist today having moved house.
Trouble with a crown on a root canal. New dentist says the x ray shows there is a bit of a broken instrument inside the old root canal.
AIBU to think that previous dentist who did the root canal should
a. Have mentioned it?
b. Not have put a crown on it if he’d left half his instrument in there.
c. Given me a discount on his exorbitant fee?

OP posts:

al2002 · 06/12/2018 19:42

a. Is the correct answer.

KurriKurri · 06/12/2018 20:08

Are you sure the previous dentist knew? Because if s/he didn't then they couldn't do either a b or c.

al2002 · 07/12/2018 19:15

The dentist knows when they've broken off something inside a root canal, unless they're blind

cheesywotnots · 07/12/2018 19:22

Have you seen the piece of a broken instrument or has the new dentist just left it there.

al2002 · 07/12/2018 19:29

Fractured root canal instruments show up on Xrays.

Original poster

williteverend99 · 07/12/2018 19:31

I’ve now seen it on the x-ray. Not hard to spot. New dentist is working out whether to try and remove it, remove the whole tooth or just leave it in.

OP posts:

FadedRed · 07/12/2018 19:48

Tbh the instrument used to do a root canal is a needle fine thing called a reamer, it might not be obvious if a small part had broken off.
How old is the root canal? I’ve got one from the 1970’s with silver rods in, which show up on X-ray.

al2002 · 07/12/2018 20:14

What sort of problem are you having OP?
Pain/ swelling?
I am dentist btw and there is a duty of candour to tell your patient if this scenario happens. Sometimes the fractured instrument will be asymptomatic and can be left. The important thing is to inform the patient about it and document this carefully.
It is not possible for a conscientious dentist to be unaware that they've broken off an endodontic instrument inside a canal.

Original poster

williteverend99 · 07/12/2018 20:52

I am not actually in any real pain. The problem is the crown on top of the root canal which has broken and feels odd inside the mouth. The root canal and crown were done about six years ago and I went back to the original dentist for regular check ups - at least one of which involved a panoramic x-ray - so they must have spotted the broken instrument then even if they missed it when they first did the work.
I am really disappointed - and definitely feel odd knowing there is a piece of metal stuck in the tooth.

OP posts:

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