... Was my one (sort of) front tooth.
And I got it today. Merry (early) Christmas to me.
(Let me just say, I can't believe I'm going to blog about this. How utterly embarrassing. Read on, and you'll understand.)
So, let's start from the beginning, about a year ago in D.C. I went to my dentist for a root canal. Root canal went fine, or so I thought until I went to have the crown put on. The dentist took an X-ray and the spot where I had the root canal done was infected. He put me on some antibiotics and told me to come back in two weeks. I went back and had another X-ray done. Still infected. Like really infected. Like traveling to my sinus cavity to my brain and potentially killing me infected. He had to take my tooth. And we're not talking back-of-the-mouth, nobody-will-notice tooth. We're talking right near the front of my mouth. I refused to walk out of the office that way while I waited for the dentist to create something semi-permanent for me, so he basically cemented a temporary crown in my mouth. Then came the semi-permanent something I could stick in there until I went to an oral surgeon to have a permanent implant.
And then I moved. First order of business: find a new dentist and an oral surgeon. I found both and then found out I'd be buying the equivalent of a Toyota Camry for my mouth. And then, I managed to break the somewhat delicate semi-permanent tooth while on vacation in Arizona. I spent half a week barely opening my mouth -- not even to gape in wonder at the Grand Canyon. I tried "fixing" it myself with Krazy Glue, but all I accomplished was cementing my own fingers together. I managed to have an emergency fix done when I got back from vacation. Since then, I've *really* been waiting for this day. The day when I could eat a bagel and laugh -- and say "HA! I've eaten you, Mr. Bagel and you have not cracked my somewhat delicate semi-permanent tooth while on vacation in Arizona."
OK. So I didn't eat a bagel today, but I did get my tooth. My dentist actually serenaded me with a few bars of "Beautiful Day" by U2.
Now had I gone ahead with my plan to sue the D.C. dentist, I probably could have used his money rather than my own to complete Phase 1 of my Camry purchase.
I hate hindsight.
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3 comments:
Oh my god you were actually going to put Krazy Glue in your mouth?!?!?!?! Tell me you were writing sarcastically and I just didn't pick up on it!!!!
Best of luck with your dental problems -- my mom got hit by a truck when she was in high school and broke her jaw in six places, and she has had massive dental problems ever since then. She went to a really good oral surgeon a few years ago, however, so if you would like the guy's name, let me know and I'll pass him along. You'd have to make a pilgrimage to Ohio for it, but trust me, she's had dental implants from two different doctors and she says you can tell the difference on the ones the really good guy did.
Actually, I'll just give you his name even without you asking for it: It's Dr. Nasser Emami. If you google him, you won't have any problems finding him because he's like the only Nasser Emami around.
Ohhh, how I feel your pain friend. I had almost the same exact thing happen to me-went in for a root canal, got it, it was infected, had to lose tooth. Nice-I looked like a waitress at Denny's. Anyway, I lost my tooth the day before my horrible mother-out-law was coming in town. Yipes! Waited for the dentist to give me a semi-fake one, then eventually had a bridge. It looks lovely... but I do sometimes drive barefooted so that I can reminisce about my hillbilly days.
I blame my parents for laughing in the face of dental visits when I was growing up.
Seriously...
Looks like you have time to make that dentist buy that Camry in your mouth. My position on this one hasn't changed from last year: You shouldn't be paying one dime for this.
Statutes of Limitations
The statute of limitations that applies to medical malpractice actions in the District of Columbia is the three-year statute contained in D.C. Code Ann. § 12-301 (1995). The statute is measured from the time plaintiff knows or with the exercise of due diligence should know of the injury. Stager v. Schneider, 494 A.2d 1307 (D.C. 1985). Claimants who are either under the age of eighteen, mentally incompetent, or imprisoned may bring their action within three years following the removal of their disability. D.C. Code Ann. § 12-302 (1995).
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