Does my dentist have the right to charge me?

amother

Bisque

Sun, Nov 20 2016, 8:08 am

Dd went to her regular dentist last week for a root canal. Towards the end of the procedure the dentist said that there is an issue at this point that makes it complicated and beyond the scope of his expertise. He recommended a specialist. The specialist started from scratch and charged full price. Does the first dentist have the right to charge anything?

imasinger

Sun, Nov 20 2016, 8:14 am

If the first dentist did the procedure, even if it wasn't successful in the end, he has given of his time and expertise. I'd consider asking him for a reduced rate, since he didn't finish the root canal.

But if he doesn't see it that way, I'd pay the fee gladly. There are far too many people in the world who would have charged ahead blindly and caused your DD a lifetime of trouble.

Simple1

Sun, Nov 20 2016, 8:19 am

I don't know. But I've always been told beforehand to go straight to the specialist. I don't know about your situation, but it seems at least sometimes like they could see from the x ray. If that is the case I wouldn't want to pay. Maybe try asking the specialist for his opinion.

amother

Green

Sun, Nov 20 2016, 8:46 am

I am a physician, though not a dentist. I think your dentist has a right to charge you. Medicine is not black and white, and complications happen, and sometimes it's impossible to predict those complications. Most doctors are ethical enough to not undertake procedures that are beyond the scope of their expertise just to get paid. It was probably a complication that he could not have predicted. If that's the case, it was very ethical and honest of him to stop and send you to a specialist, despite awkwardness of the situation. It's always difficult to admit to a patient that there is a complication. In most medical fields (again, can't be sure for dentistry since I am not one), you pay for the doctor's expertise, not for the final result. I would openly ask your dental office (not the dentist himself, but the staff member who deals with billing) what your bill will be, if anything. Then compare it to their customary fee for a root canal. It would be reasonable of you to expect a discount, but I don't think full bill write off is in order.

amother

Dodgerblue

Sun, Nov 20 2016, 9:32 am

I was in a similar situation recently. My dentist attempted a root canal too. Towards the end he realized that not only had he been unsuccessful in locating the roots , his attempts perforated the tooth. He sent me to an endodontist who told me that the tooth could not be saved at this point. I needed to go to surgeon who then removed the tooth. Now I will need an implant as well. The first dentist did not charge me a penny. As if yet I have not received a bill in the mail either. I don't think that he has the right to charge me since not only did he not complete the root canal, he botched the situation so badly, causing me unnecessary pain and expenses that I never would have incurred had he sent me to the specialist right away. In your case, it sounds like the original dentist work didn't accomplish anything and the specialist did it all on his own therefore the first dentist is not entitled to his fee. I recently also had another complication with another root canal which was done by a dentist. I have learned that at the first hint of a root canal I go to an endodontist immediately.

Amelia Bedelia

Sun, Nov 20 2016, 9:46 am

amother wrote:

Was it an apexogenesis? Just curious, because DS needed it, but I was told that at the onset of the treatment.

amother

Bisque

Sun, Nov 20 2016, 10:07 am

Amelia Bedelia wrote:

Was it an apexogenesis? Just curious, because DS needed it, but I was told that at the onset of the treatment.

I never heard of that so I'm assuming it wasn't.

imasinger

Sun, Nov 20 2016, 1:20 pm

I think the way I'd approach it would be to call the office, and say, "I'm wondering about how you generally bill in a situation like this, where we were sent to an endodontist, and you didn't do the root canal in the end."

sweetpotato

Sun, Nov 20 2016, 1:33 pm

Is the dentist charging you the full price of the root canal? Or a nominal fee for his time?

I would ask for the records, x-rays, etc., and find out exactly what the issue was that he encountered. I would then try to ask another dentist or endodontist about whether the dentist missed any key step that would have allowed him to identify the complication well before attempting the root canal himself, or any other irregularity about how it was handled. With that information, I would then talk to the dentist about the bill.

amother

Saddlebrown

Sun, Nov 20 2016, 2:46 pm

I hope you have Hatzlacha resolving this peacefully. I share a similar situation to this one. Lesson learned:the minute the word root canal is uttered by the dentist,we run to an endodontist.