renjen3211

Hi! I'm having crowns put on my top front teeth #s 6-11. I had
originally told my dentist that I wanted full porcelain crowns and we
picked shade A2. When I saw them, they were PFM's. I told them that I
had asked for full porcelain, and since I was getting new ones I
changed the shade to B1 (the A2 looked too yellow for me). He said for
the full porcelain they would have to shave down my teeth more and
there would be a good chance of needing root c****s because so little
tooth would be left. And they charged me an extra $900.

My last appt. I saw my new crowns and again they were PFM. I couldn't
believe it. Twice now I have asked for full porcelain. When I told him
this, he started giving me the pros & cons of PFM vs. full porc. Why
didn't he do this before? They said they ordered this B1 shade, a
special opacious porcelain from the east coast, I said that I liked
the shade - that wasn't the problem - but that I didn't want metal at
all. So, I just had them temp. cement 2 of them and I left and said
that I would think about it. I left & cried. This has been going on
for 4 mos. and it's stressing me out. My husband asked them to fax us
a itemized statement so that we could see where the extra $900 went
to, and they say I still owe an extra $800! Does it cost this much
extra for this special porc. PFM? They said they just charged me lab
fees (but they're almost $2000 more than the 1st ones) I have these 2
new ones temp. cemented on teeth #6 & 7. They look good enough so
should I just stick with these because I dread going through this
anymore? If I have to have more root c****s, that could be an extra
$1,000. They make me feel like a disgruntled patient and I do not want
to have to ask them to change it again. I've been concerned about the
metal. Am I going to have a gray line at my gums later on? Please help
me, I need to call them and tell them what I am going to do. Any
advice anyone could offer, I would so very much appreciate it. Thank
you.

P.s. Sorry this is so long.

joel m. eichen d.d.s.

Stop, Look, and Listen!

Contract Law.


What was your original deal? You wrote:


So what happened?
Any witnesses to that conversation or any written do***entation?

The rest is moot.

The more you allow yourself to be led down a rosy path the worser
(sic!) and worser (sic!) it gets! And the siccer (sic!sic!) too!

ABsolutely NOt.

DOuble CApitals FOr EMphasis.

Okay, forget the call or make the call,,,, but write down what you
believe was the original contract supported by your recollection and
stuff like ...... "your dental assistant Suzie was there when I said
......."

Mail a copy to the Doc and mail another copy to your home address. Get
the post office to stamp the letter and give you a receipt for the
mailing (Costs $0.99). In the letter ask him to reply by mail.

Next call the Doc and straighten it all out ........ if he says no,
send him another copy return receipt requested. He has the legal
obligation to "mitigate damages ..." (DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer
and cannot give legal advice. Please consult your dental hygienist for
that).

This last act is very aggressive so hold off with RRR and give him a
chance to make amends. He may surprise you.

This is the classic case of "dentist not listening."


Joel M. Eichen DDS


On 25 Aug 2003 10:40:15 -0700, renjen3211@aol.com (Jenn) wrote:


--
Joel M. Eichen, .
Philadelphia PA

STANDARD DISCLAIMER applies:
<You fill it in>

renjen3211

Dear Joel,

The office manager did hear me the 2nd time I asked because she kind
of gave me attitude and said, "well I never heard you say you wanted
full porcelain the first time" and I said yes I did and if they
couldn't give that to me then I could go to another dentist and she
got quite rude with me. Then she told me she would find out how much
extra they would be and called me back and said that they would cost
the extra $900.

Hopefully I'll be able to work this out - I hate confrontations, if
they would've just said PFM were better for me, or whatever their
reasons have been for not getting me the full porc. - they should have
told me from the beginning. I'm getting resentful because they have
put me in this situation where they're making look like a bad patient,
when it's them who won't listen to me. In that statement they sent me
they said, "they tried every possible way to accommodate patient by
giving her a discounted rate". But they aren't giving patient what she
had twice asked for.

Anyway, Thank you so much for your advice. I really appreciate you
taking the time to help me.

Jenn

joel m. eichen d.d.s.

REPLY TO JENN:

This is why it is good to draft the whole scene in writing and send it
off to the Doc. If he fails to counteract what you said, then it has
some standing. At least it will cause the Doc to take notice that you
aren't about to be steamrolled.


Exactly. Most people do. Dentists (and other capitalists) rely on that.


Yup and you might have gone elsewhere too. This is the secret reason
for the non-straight talk! Doctors, Lawyers, Indian Chiefs ...... well
the Indian Chiefs are less guilty ...... but still when I want the
sweet corn I want it.

Get it in writing .....


More, much more ........... needs to be said! Joel

--
Joel M. Eichen, .
Philadelphia PA

STANDARD DISCLAIMER applies:
<You fill it in>

steven fawks

Yep.

Communication is very important in a dental office. I have to know what
the patient wants. The patient needs to understand what I can deliver.
The office personel need to understand what the patient and I are doing
so the lab also gets the message. The treatment plan should be in
writing with specific procedures and fees listed. Options or changes in
this plan should be made with everyone understanding what's happening.

If I (or one of my staff) screw up, it's my job to make it right. Most
dentistry is expensive enough to cover a little 'service' to make the
patients happy.

JMHO,
Fawks

dr steve

Just to add some coal to the fire. The lab fee for full porcelain is
virtually the same as the lab fee for PFM. What is the extra $900 for?

--
~+--~+--~+--~+--~+--
Stephen Mancuso, D.D.S.
Troy, Michigan, USA
DrSteve@Mancuso.d.d.s.com
{remove first 3 dots for email}
.................................................. ...

This posting is intended for informational or conversational purposes only.
Always seek the opinion of a licensed dental professional before acting on
the advice or opinion expressed here. Only a dentist who has examined you
in person can diagnose your problems and make decisions which will affect
your health.
.......................
Please ignore j..d...
~~~~``````````#####----

joel m. eichen d.d.s.

Its like the airlines .. .ask the guy in the next seat what he paid
for the same destination ......


--
Joel M. Eichen, .
Philadelphia PA
STANDARD DISCLAIMER applies:
<You fill it in>

wb

PIA fee ?