Hi Jon,

I reread the paragraph that you are referring to and I'm unsure that seeking the advice of the state dental board would eliminate your right to legal action. Did you call the dental board directly and ask them if they could help you directly or offer some advice as to what organization helps people who believe they are being mistreated at the state dental school?

Jon, I understand your frustrations and I know this is taking it's toll on your health. It doesn't sound like you are not up to a legal battle against the school, am I right? You basically would need someone of importance who can intervene and say...... hey, this guy feels he's being jerked back and forth and before anyone proceeds with any more treatment, he needs some answers. I understand that you are compelled to make this a public issue if not for yourself but to warn others. Hear me when I say....... your situation is a common occurance at most dental schools. The patient usually gets so fed up, they just stop treatment or seek it from a private practice. It's been going on like this since the beginning of time.............you my friend, are not going to change the dynamics of which they run their dental school.

Your interpretation of the "gossip" game is pretty close to how this profession works. It's actually more of the "ego" game and in dental school the egos are elevated like you would not believe. When one gets bruised another one gets boasted......... and so on. It's really ridiculous.

I went on the website of the school that you are going to and found that you can email the head of the departments. Perhaps you could convey your concerns via email to those who have spoken to you about your treatment? It's not like you are trying to step on anyones toes, you just want to know what the options are, what the recommendations of treatment are, who is doing what and what is the long term prognosis?

Unfortunately dental schools have acquired a bad reputation because they generally have no patient sensitivity training. A professional never learns patient relations in school. He only learns that after he's been in practice for awhile and his ego has been bruised a few hundred times! The general attitude is that the people who elect to have major reconstructive dentistry at the school are doing so because of the reduction in fees. Therefore, you get a mixture of inconsistencies because you get whoever is available at the time and they are all still learning so none of them have perfected anything. Then in walks the big guns and as he peeks over their shoulder, he barks out a few demands and everyone in the room snickers behind his back. So of course the treatment will change according to who has you in the chair at the time! Some people don't mind this but they are usually the ones who are not having the extensive work that you are.

I don't know if they will charge you a fee to copy your xrays, but it is a daily, common practice for patients to request their xrays because people seek second opinions all of the time. I really think you need someone to sit down with you face to face and explain your options and why. It may actually help take some of the anxiety out of what has already occured and make sense of what is yet to happen.

I truly feel that you should not be thinking about suing the school..... you will get nowhere........and only seek advice from the dental board if they have the ability to intervene on your behalf in a positive way. Meaning, if the patient advocate from the school can't help you then does the board know who can?? I don't know what their legal protocol for filing a complaint is or how restricted it is. Only they can tell you that.

Please consider a second opinion from someone that will sit one on one with you and don't hesitate at all to request your xrays from the school.

Bryanna