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Question:
I need a professional opinion ASAP. This is a true situation and I am looking to you for advice. I had a crown installed about six months ago. When the dentist did this installation, he commented that he was not using the strongest adhesive available but thought that I'd do fine with what he used. I went back for a follow-up visit about two months later. He checked the new crown and said he didn't think I'd have any problems.
Last night, while eating a normal dinner, the crown came off and I swallowed it before I was able to prevent myself from swallowing this $600. tooth. I immediately contacted my dentist at the office and on his emergency number. This morning he calls me on his cell phone on the way to the office to tell me that I should make every effort to recover the tooth, meaning that I should check my stool for the tooth which I have ingested.
As disgusting as this might seem, he also told me that it was important to determine if it was not in my lungs--give me a break! Assuming I find the tooth, I was instructed to put it in clorox and bring it to the office for sterilization.
Is this proper procedure? I feel my doctor might be avoiding the costs associated with total replacement by telling me to retrieve this tooth. I inquired if he still had the original mold impression, and he could not tell me how long the company retains molds. I have an impression mold from a previous crown tooth that was given to me for safekeeping by a former dentist. What is your professional opinion? Where should I go from here? Is this an ethical solution? ...Visitor from GA
Answer:
I have heard of these situations before. It is totally up to you, if you
want to do this. It will save you more dental work, but it is your
dentist's responsibility to fix things right.
It is a good idea to check your stool for the next few days just to make sure that it does come out and it's not stuck somewhere in your body. Disinfecting it should not be a problem. You are the one who needs to make this decision, not your dentist.
Editorial Staff
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