Refund For Dental Work

[philipthechilip]

Hi, apologies if this is not the right place to post this, but I've found the advice to be very good on here, so I thought I would give it a go.

Short story: I have recently had a crown fitted by a dentist that is ill-fitting I would like a refund for. What recourse do I have here? And what is the correct channel for this?

Long story: I was experiencing pain in some teeth, and the dentists theorised that this was being caused by a hairline fracture on one of my teeth (caused by teeth clenching/grinding). No crack appeared on the x-ray, but I trusted their opinion at the time.

I paid for the procedure in full (close to a grand) and they made mold for the tooth.

A week later, the dental practice called me to say the lab messaged them to say that another mold was required and could I come in tomorrow. I was away abroad on a trip (and had told them I would be) so I said it would be tricky. I asked if it would be possible for me to have the work completed where I was abroad (and I would compensate the original dentist for the work they had done).

The dentist then got noticeably angry (first warning sign), and said that they had spoken to the lab, and a new mold was no longer required.

When the day came to fit the crown, it did not appear to fit, and the crown had to be shaved down considerably. The dentist was very dismissive, and even hostile regarding any questions I had or concerns I had about pain.

I went to another dentist to get a second opinion at a separate practice, and they did x-ray and found that there was a clear gap between the tooth and the new crown, meaning it would definitely need to be redone.

The new dentist said that I would request comment from the original dentist that did the bad work and proceed according to their complaints procedure.

So far I have emailed the original dentist asking for comment on the x-ray. They have tried to avoid giving comment, instead asking for me to come in to see them for an appointment. But I have requested their response via email instead.

I don't want to get any follow up work by the original dentist because they have been very rude, unprofessional, and heavy handed when doing the work, causing pain.

I paid by debit card, not credit card, so I cannot do a charge back.

What recourse do I have here to get a refund? What would be the legal means to do this?

If they refuse, which I think they will, given their hostile attitude, do I have a leg to stand on?

Is small claims court an option?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[DontAsk]

Were you given any guarantee? My crowns all did, but I've never had to try claiming, thankfully.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Making a complaint to your dental professional

If you're not happy with the treatment or service you have had, it's usually best to tell the practice directly - they may be able to sort the problem out there and then.

www.gdc-uk.org

 

[philipthechilip]

Thanks for the responses.

They never mentioned a guarantee, but I believe they will honour any additional work required to finish the tooth (even if begrudgingly).

However, I would much prefer not to have the practice do any further work, and to instead have it completed by another practice, because the treatment has been very unprofessional and sub-standard, and I would fear additional problems arising as a result.

 

[Michael Loveridge]

It's only like any other claim for breach of contract - you need to be able to prove that the original work was not done to a satisfactory standard.

Because it's a relatively small amount involved it would be best to try to resolve matters by negotiation. I'd recommend asking your new dentist if they would write a brief report confirming the issue with the original work and providing an estimate for remedial work. You would then send the report to the first dentist, asking for a refund of what you paid and requesting confirmation that they will pay the cost of putting it right.

If you don't get anywhere then you might try the Dental Complaints Service, though I've no personal experience of how good or bad they are - https://dcs.gdc-uk.org/

And if that doesn't resolve matters then the small claims court is a low cost option, though it's not as easy as people make out with a case such as this.