Ask a doctor

Is it possible my dentist caused my tooth infection when I received my veneers? Should I be responsible for the bill to repair?

After having my overbite corrected with veneers i immediately suffered in pain & got an infected nerve. My dentist gave me antibiotics & said I may need it drilled from the back of the veneer & drained. I know this nerve was killed by grinding my tooth down too much. Shouldn't they take some financial responsibility for the bill? He caused the nerve to die! I wish I took photos of the huge puss pocket in my gums over the tooth. I haven't been back yet, still taking meds. Help, any advice?

Doctor Answers 1

Tooth Pain and Infection

November 3rd, 2016
{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

I can't comment on whether or not your dentist caused the nerve to die without seeing x-rays or the status of your teeth prior to being treated. I will, however, tell you that usually when something like this happens there is already an underlying problem with the tooth to begin with. When the dentist then works on that tooth, the nerve, which is already irritated, gets kicked over the edge and reacts the way your tooth reacted. In terms of helping with the fee, that's an individual response, and everyone practices differently. I've had times where I've adjusted fees for certain situations and not adjusted fees as well. I would have you discuss this with your dentist. We're typically pretty reasonable people and I'm sure he/she wants you to be happy in the long run. I hope this helps!

Joseph B. Silberman, DMD, FAGD
November 3rd, 2016

Tooth Pain and Infection

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

I can't comment on whether or not your dentist caused the nerve to die without seeing x-rays or the status of your teeth prior to being treated. I will, however, tell you that usually when something like this happens there is already an underlying problem with the tooth to begin with. When the dentist then works on that tooth, the nerve, which is already irritated, gets kicked over the edge and reacts the way your tooth reacted. In terms of helping with the fee, that's an individual response, and everyone practices differently. I've had times where I've adjusted fees for certain situations and not adjusted fees as well. I would have you discuss this with your dentist. We're typically pretty reasonable people and I'm sure he/she wants you to be happy in the long run. I hope this helps!

Joseph B. Silberman, DMD, FAGD
*Treatment results may vary

Related content

View all Porcelain Veneers reviews

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.