Names and location has been changed.
December 20, 2011
Seldom do I get an email from a parent whose child has entered “stainless crown hell” before the damage has been done. So it’s exciting to hear a good story for a change.
Most of the time I hear from parents only after the shocked and outraged has taken control after seeing their child post-treatment by one of the, all too common “tooth devils”. Their son or daughter was returned to them in the waiting room where they had patiently waited. Their child’s face is swelled, and bruised; the child is soaked with sweat, urine or both; the child is hysterical and inconsolable; their precious child now has a mouth full of stainless steel crowns.
That’s how it goes on a good day. On a bad one, they’ve heard an ambulance pull up and see the paramedics rush to the back, and within minutes, they see their beloved baby rushed into the ambulance, and whisked away to the nearest emergency room, and chances are high, it will not end well.
This week, however, I received a different type of email. This email was from a father who had taken his children to the dentist for a standard examination at Shortcut Dental Group. After taking several x-rays of his 7 year old, the dentist at Shortcut Dental told the father his son needed work done, but it would require sedation so they referred him to Pretty Damn Greedy (PDG) dental.
At PDG, they refused to use the x-rays from Shortcut Dental. PDG told dad that it was not “common practice” to send over the x-rays with the patient file and insisted the x-rays be retaken at PDG. Dad said it was a struggle at Shortcut Dental to get the x-rays. He now feared for his son being traumatized and exposed to the radiation once again. After the examination, Dr. K at PDG shocked dad telling him his son needed at least one tooth pulled and 7 crowns. In shock, dad questioned Dr. K telling the doctor his son has lost four of his baby teeth, and now he’s being told 8 of what his child has left needs urgent dental treatment; treatment that requires sedation! Dad had a gut feeling something wasn’t right, left and went home to do some research of his own. Thank God for the Internet!
His research stunned him. He found that at least one patient had died at PDG in 2010 and there was almost a second death at PGD the very same day, it was the very next patient! Yet, Shortcut Dental was referring his son to this chamber of death without batting an eye.
This child was lucky. After dad’s research, and a few email exchanges, he was able to find a local dentist who still considers ethics of supreme importance; whose purpose is to create a trusting relationship with children; who is dedicated to providing a pleasant dental experience and only treat what needs treating; not how many procedures he can charge and not be questioned.
I wish there was a list of the good guys, with dentist that are truly prescreened.
