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I went in to have several teeth extracted. I’m an anxious patient and so I used dental sedation. I ended up with two extra teeth being pulled than I was expecting. One of those back teeth perforated the sinus cavity. I didn’t find out that happened until the next day when I called to get some information because I was confused about the extra teeth being gone. They told me the teeth were in worse shape than they thought. They also said that they went over all of this with me and that I gave consent. Apparently, sinus perforations happen all the time. Something they said they also told me but I don’t recall.
Four days later, I had a 102-degree fever and my sinuses were killing me. There was lots of drainage and a terrible smell. I called them and they called in a prescription for me. Several days later and I was still having a fever and the infection had not improved. They said give it a few more days. Four days after that I insisted they see me. They ended up removing some bone from the perforation, wrote me a stronger prescription and said I should be find.
By this time, I am out of sick days. Eleven days later and I started feeling pain behind my left eye. I got scared and told them I think I needed to see a specialist. They referred me to an oral surgeon. He said everything looked fine and the hole was healed. When I expressed doubt, he got snippy with me and told me I should be happy that he told me I don’t need surgery. I’m several days later and very scared. I am working in pain because I lost so much income that I can’t afford not to work anymore and I feel myself getting worse by the day. I asked for my medical records. One of the things I noticed is that my informed consent does not have a date or signature. On the signature line, it reads, “reviewed with patient, not signed due to sedation.”
I’ve lost almost 10 pounds because I can’t eat. I was underweight when this started. Now I think I need to take more time off to see an ENT or something because I can hardly function. I called my dentist to see if he would cover these medical expenses and he said, “What I do after his treatment is my responsibility.” What do you recommend?
Amy
Dear Amy,
This is horrible and one of the worst dental horror stories I’ve heard in a while. I am appalled at how both the dentist and the oral surgeon are treating you and have a strong suspicion that they are friends and one is trying to protect the other. While sinus perforations do happen, I would not say they happen all the time.
In your place, I would call your dentist and let him know either he refunds your dental fee, pays your additional medical expenses, and compensates you for the missed time at work or you will be contacting an attorney. You have a good case here and I think his malpractice insurance would be advising him to settle.
Here are some of the things going in your favor that come to me right off the bat.
- Not getting informed consent from you. He can’t just say you consented while under dental sedation. Consent while under sedation is not considered consent and he knows that.
- Poor extraction technique. First, he had a large sinus perforation. Second, he left bone fragments in it. Third, you developed an infection at the site due to his negligence. I suspect you have material pushed up into the sinus as well.
- Information negligence. He should have made sure you understood about the perforation, as well as how to care for it. He also should have sent you home with documentation restating all of that information.
- Treatment negligence. He should have began treatment of the sinus infection immediately after it happened. Instead, he left you with a fever for several days, allowing the infection to spread.
- Poor handling of the infection. First, he started you off on the wrong antibiotics. Then, when it was obvious they would not work, he delayed changing them to something stronger.
I want you to call an ENT right away and tell them what you told me. You have a dental emergency on your hands and we don’t want it to turn life-threatening. Don’t have him recommend the ENT. You pick. They need to get you in as soon as possible. They also need to get you on a strong antibiotic to hold you over until that appointment.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. John Theriot.