[dentistinnoida]

A real case of negligence at my dental clinic in noida, India.

August 2011:

A free dental checkup camp was organized at one of the largest multinational organizations, with its India headquarters in Noida.

STEP I:

Out of a huge work force of 950, only 53 (i.e. 5.6%) turned up for a dental checkup camp which was organized as a part of employee welfare scheme, in the medical room of the company, at the cost of company expenses, for one entire day.

That is where it always starts… the first step of negligence.

STEP II:

Now, what I am giving here are true figures.

• Scaling or cleaning was required in all 53. Deep layers of calculus were deposited in all.
• None of them had ever flossed.
• 80% of the people were suffering from bad breath.
• 52 people had cavities averaging 3 per person out of which about 20% were supposed to be reaching root canal stage soon.

Anyways, I prescribed what was required and tutored them on the right brushing and flossing techniques. I told them both the physical and financial benefits, losses, repercussions of not getting their treatments timely. I also gave a link to my website dental clinic in noida, which provides all the relevant information about the general dental treatments.

This was the second step of negligence.

STEP III:

October: 2011

Of course, I don’t deny this fact completely that I wanted them to visit my clinic but it never said anywhere ‘My Clinic Only’. But I was sure that if they were going to any dental clinic in noida, it was mine as I had offered discounted treatment packages as a part of the corporate tie-up which I put on my website too. A smart thing that I did was, to keep the copies of prescriptions that I gave away, so if any patient turned up, I knew about the diagnosis.

Only 2 patients out of 53 turned up after a period of 3 months.

So, that was the third step of negligence.

STEP IV:

Now, let’s just concentrate on the 2 people that visited me. I will share the fate of remaining 51 people later.

Now, I can’t possibly narrate the whole incidence in my own words. But it went something like as given below.

Patient 1: You told me that I had 4 cavities.

I: Let me check. Please get in the dental chair.

Patient 1: But you told me that I had just 4 cavities.

I: That’s fine, but I need to do the check up once more. It’s been 3 months.

Patient 1: Is it going to hurt?

I: I am not going to do any treatment without informing you. This is a simple checkup, so it’s not going to hurt.

I asked him to open his mouth.

I: You’ve got another cavity. So it’s 5 cavities now.

Patient 1: But how is that possible? You said 4 cavities that time and it has not been much time since.

I: Wait, let me show you.

So I started my intra-oral camera and showed it on the screen.

Patient 1 (almost crying): How did it happen? I never did anything.

I: It’s not that you did something. I told you all to maintain dental hygiene. Probably you don’t brush properly.

Patient 1: So what will you do now?

I: They need filling.

Patient 1: Is it going to hurt?

I: No, It won’t. Do you want me to start?

Patient 1: Umm, can I take some time to think?

I: Sure, but one of your cavities is pretty deep and it may require a root canal treatment, if you wait for too long and it would cost almost 5 – 6 times more. So choose any dentist, and get it done asap.

Patient 1 comes out of the chair.

Now, I requested Patient 2 to get into the chair.

Patient 2: You told me that I had 2 cavities.

I: Let me see. Did I tell you that one of your cavities was pretty bad?

Patient 2: No.

I pulled out the prescription copy as I could not believe if I could make such a blunder.

I: Here is your copy of prescription. It says that I told you so.

Patient 2: oh! May be, since it’s been a long time, I could have forgotten.

I: Aren’t you feeling pain while chewing?

Patient 2: Yes, but I think I hurt my tooth the other day while cracking a nut. That’s why.

I took an X-Ray also to make sure that my diagnosis was correct.

I: No dear, your cavity has gone worse. It has now also got an infection. You need a root canal treatment. You could have avoided it 3 months back by a simple filling.

Patient 2: Oh my God! Is there an alternative?

I: Unfortunately, No. Do you want me to go ahead?

Patient 2: Umm. Can I also take some time to think?

I: But I thought you had pain?

Patient 2: Yeah, but still give me a day or two please.

I: Ok, no problems.

And they left.

You just saw the 4th step of negligence.

STEP V:

After 3 days, I got a call around 9 PM.

Caller: Is it Dr. Reena?

I: Yes.

Caller: Ma’am, this is patient 2. Remember, I came with my colleague the other day?

I: Yes.

Caller: Can I come to your clinic now?

I: I have left for the day and I am quite far from it. What’s wrong?

Caller: Ma’am, please do something. I have a terrible pain.

I: I can’t do anything right now. What you can do is take a pain killer right now and see me in the morning at 11 am.

Caller: Thanks Ma’am.

Next morning, patient 2 never turned up.

5th step of negligence

STEP VI:

After 2 days, I again got a call at 2 O’clock in the afternoon.

Caller: Dr. Reena?

I: Yes

Caller: Patient 1 this side, Ma’am.

I: Yes.

Caller: Ma’am, patient 2 has tremendous pain. He can’t even open his mouth.

I: I told him to see me but he never came.

Caller: Yeah, he got relieved of his pain by pain killer, so he thought that it was all ok.

I: Pain killer is a temporary relief. It does not cure you.

Caller: Ma’am, what can we do now?

I: Bring him over at 4:00 PM to my dental clinic in noida.

Caller: Sure Ma’am, we will be there.

I reached my clinic at 4:05 pm and they were there already…waiting.
I could clearly see that he was in tremendous pain. His left side was swollen and he, possibly, could not even open his mouth.

The infection that was diagnosed earlier had worsened.
So I prescribed an antibiotic course and asked him to see me after 5 days.

Guess what happened after 5 days! He did not turn up again.

That was the 6th step or I must call it “heights of negligence”.

STEP VII:

After 3 days, my phone buzzed again.

I knew who it was, the same old patient 2.

Patient 2: Ma’am, its paining severely again.

I: (spoke a bit sternly this time), See me at 4 pm.

Patient 2: Ma’am, please give me something for momentary relief.

I: Sorry, I can’t. Please come and see me.

And I disconnected without listening further. And there he was waiting for me.

Patient 2: Ma’am, it’s really paining. I took your medicine but it’s still paining.

I: (with a bit of anger in my tone) Antibiotic was to clear your infection, temporarily, so that root canal treatment could be done and problem could be solved forever. If you don’t get your root canal treatment done, infection will keep recurring. There is only one way to save this tooth i.e. root canal treatment, else get it extracted.

Patient 2: No ma’am, don’t extract it, please. Ok, please do what you think is required but help me get rid of this pain.

I: Ok, I will have to put you on antibiotic again for another 3 days, but I will do so only when you make the advance payment for a root canal treatment this time because I can’t keep giving you antibiotics as a temporary solution.

Patient 2: Ok, ma’am, I will do whatever you say.

Well, the treatment was started and it was all done in a couple of weeks’ time.

Patient 2: Now, is it going to be okay now?

I: Yes, but you must get a crown or a cap.

Patient 2: What is it?

I explained.

Patient 2: Is it like mandatory?

I: No, but highly recommended. Almost a must because if, for some reason, your tooth breaks, the only available remedy would be extraction. Not getting a crown is like taking a big chance.

Patient 2: Ok, let me think.

I: OK.

Patient 1, who had seen the entire episode, almost begged me to give him an appointment for his fillings.

He visited at his appointment and got the fillings done.

7th Step of negligence was what you just saw.

VIII and the Final Step:

March 2012:

Phone rang with a known number.

Caller: Dr. Reena, its patient 2.

I: How are you, now?

Caller: Ma’am, I think something chipped off in my mouth.

I: Come to my clinic and show it.

Patient 2 was waiting for me again, when I reached.

Upon checkup, I realized that the worst thing had happened to him. His root canal treated tooth broke beyond restoration and required extraction.

He was about to burst into tears when I told him. I could not help but scold him for all the negligence he had shown in last 5 months.

Trust me on this, tooth pain is one of the most excruciating pain and it can be saved by keeping routine dental hygiene, biyearly regular dental checkup and getting the treatment at the earliest possible stage and it proves extremely cost effective too.

More the pain, merrier the dentist. People often complain that dentists get rich quickly. I put it otherwise; it’s the patients and their negligence, which make a dentist a wealthy person. So, please do not neglect the dentist’s advice. Be an informed patient. Read about the common treatments.

Dr. Reena Gupta
Dentist at Dental Remedies – Dental Clinic in Noida
www.dentalclinicinnoida.com

I request all Dentists and the related professional to share their cases when Patient Neglect their advice so that the readers can understand the consequences of such neglect.

[harry lloyd]

Nice research and the way of communication. It is true that every problem or disease starts with negligence. If you brush your teeth twice in a day and visit any dentist punctually for check up, you will never find any dental issue in your life.

[robertanderson]

I totally agree with your point if you follow a proper dental care routine and go for regular checkups you will never face a dental problem again as its our negligence toward our health that causes these problems to arise.

[harry lloyd]

Originally Posted by robertanderson

I totally agree with your point if you follow a proper dental care routine and go for regular checkups you will never face a dental problem again as its our negligence toward our health that causes these problems to arise.

Thanks for appreciation but keep in mind one more thing. Be sure about the dentist who is going to treat you. He should b a good professional and must be aware of all treatment that you are required otherwise it is useless. You can search on different websites through Google to find a good dentist. I know some good dentists in Diamond Bar CA and if you want then I can set an appointment for you if you have any dental issue.

[forumdental]

totally agreed todays genration has been very lazy they want to eat every food but dont want to care for there teeths. Therefore brushing 3 times a day is very necessory.
thank you
forumdental