Patient Does Not Like Aesthetics of Cemented Crowns: How Do You Manage This?
Dr. I. asks:
I know this is a touchy subject. But what do you do when a patient comes back two weeks after you have cemented ceramic crowns on her lateral incisors and tells you that she does not like the aesthetics and wants the crowns redone. You check the record and she has signed off her approval on the shade and accepted the aesthetics at the time of delivery. Do you redo them for free or do you charge a lab fee? Do you charge her full fee? Does anyone have a policy here that works? Can something like this be managed better with detailed written consent for treatment forms?
3 Comments on Patient Does Not Like Aesthetics of Cemented Crowns: How Do You Manage This?
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Joe barone CDT
12/11/2008
I worked in house for several Dentists. This seemed to work the best. If the patient agrees that they confirmed the aesthetics before they signed off. Then would she be agreeable to half price for total fees!!! Hopefully you kept master models and the lab agrees to this!!
Well that is my Free opinion (you know what this is worth) Good luck!!!
We have used the expression "cosmetically crazed" when describing a patient before!! Oh keep the new crowns in with temp cement for a couple of months!
Joe Barone CDT
BD
12/14/2008
On the rare occasion that it happens, why not just re do them for free. It's only a lab bill and there is more to life than money; lets face it, none of us are on the bread line.
Less stress for you and the patient. In fact you find that the patient is much more appreciative of your efforts.
If it's happening to you all the time then maybe you need to re- visit your shade taking or liase with your lab.
David Hall, DDS
12/31/2008
I get a lot of e-mails through my website from patients who are unhappy with the esthetics of their dental work, and it is a source of great consternation to them, so they ask my advice about what to do. They paid all this money for a beautiful smile and they hate it. Often, they simply didn't get a good enough look at it before it was bonded.
A lot of dissatisfaction can be prevented if you put the chair up, let them get a good look at it, let them bring in their friend, husband, whoever to look at it, too. Then ask them again if they're sure they like it. But with them upside-down in the chair and you standing over them acting like you want to get on with this is no way to get an honest opinion from them about whether or not they really like how it looks.
