Re: should I sue the dental clinic

Tex

I have to applaud you for doing all that research on me. Personally I
would not have the time or patience.
I am confused why you think I'm against smokers, I see them all the
time and I if they never hear the lecture about smoking I give it to
them only once and those that have heard this lecture which is the
majority of smokers, I understand them and try to work with them.
As far as me being affordable, I am definetly not cheap and I am not
the most expensive dentist in the neigbourhood. At the same time the
difference between what you consider being affordable and expensive
goes towards the best lab technicians, newest restorations and top of
the line materials used in the office. It's not cheap to be on top of
technology and constantly taking continuing education classes to keep
up with everything. If you did a survey of procedured done by most
general dentists and compare that to what I actually do in my office,
you will quickly find I have the longest list. The reason I take these
courses is because I want to provide the best treatment plan for the
problem and if a dentist does not know one part of dentistry very well
or is not comfortable doing it, chances are they are going to exclude
that from the treatment plan and many times it may be a mistake.
So I am not getting filthy rich in this profession nor was it my
intent. And I can back that up with the fact that I'll bet the car you
drive is nicer and newer than mine. My car (year 1990) is on it's
second engine and that is just from commutes over the years.
With my fees despite being on the high side when you consider the
actual value are more than fair and anyone that appreciates the value
can afford me. BTW there are many ways to make treatments affordable.
On occasion when I see that a patient despite their economic situation
rich or poor who appreaciates my dentistry by taking care of their oral
health and expressing concern, I usually end up throwing in a few
freebies.
In my book they may be your teeth but it is my face.

Take Care.


Tex wrote:
On 28 Jul 2006 23:50:59 -0700, "Alexander Vasserman DDS"
<purple543210@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

In the dental industry there is no requirement to maintain malpractice
insurance. When I was in Dental School I ran into 2 attorneys that were
trying to get in as patients and they were talking about dental
malpractice insurance, they said they could not understand why dentist
maintain malpractice insurance. They said that if a dentist did not
maintain this insurance no attorney would take the case even if it was
not on contingency basis since the practice could be operating as a
corporation which is renting all the equipment and deducting the
payments as an expense thus transfering income to the dentist while
sheltering liability. An even if a case was filed the corporation could
be dissolved and a new one formed the next day.
The reason dentists want to maintain malpractice insurance is for the
benefit of a patient that gets severly disabled. Although in real world
malpractice seems to bring in bad air between parties and destroys the
dentist patient relationship instead of strengthening rapport and
understanding that even dentists are infalable and can make mistakes.
I believe communication is key in these situations and can eliminate
these law suits.

I did a google and read all your posts from 2004. I can see the
comment about the wife not having sex because ya lost a tooth is
probably your wry way of making a point.

I also picked up on the fact if one doesn't have letters after their
name and those should have something to do with being a dentist you
aren't too concerned with discussion....it's a dentisty ng so I can
live with that.

Here's something I read in one of your past posts:

"You want to make sure the dentist you go to is honest, has the guts
to
admit to a mistake, and if a mistake was made is willing to correct
it."

Now that I can live with also and in fact was my whole point from the
patient side of the deal...ya know the one with no letters behind
their name.

Another thing I read from a past post of yours:

"When I was an associate, I constantly had to change treatment plans
because the managing dentist or owner would overdiagnose. The owners
did not like that but I did not care the patient always came first. We
were doing concious sedation with dental assistants who were not
trained, it was a nightmare. The worst is that some of these places
had
these charts where they give you very little space to write to cover
your ass. This was one of the reasons why I opened my own practice and
left the associate scene."

This being the case I can applaud you. On the other side of the coin
from reading enough posts and going to your website I can see you
would never be my dentist (I couldn't afford you) and I wouldn't be
your patient (You wouldn't want someone who can't afford you and one
who is a smoker such as myself...not to mention my situation (a large
part by choice I admit) has been to have a dental plan which is
usually based on pain...I have pain I seek my dentist out and come up
with the $$$ even if I have to borrow it).

Now having said that I will add most likely I would wind up at a place
you describe you worked as an associate....and even there I would make
the final decisions and not as you said previously do just what I was
told. Though from what you write about your experience and some us
unlettered patients share or know...at times there will be mistakes
made and they won't all be the patients fault...and in those instances
bitch is about all we will wind up with because one they will stick
together and two like you say even if we sue and even if we win we
will most likely come out on the short end of the stick...thus one of
the reason I said don't sue....just kiss your ass good-bye or kiss the
dentists ass and hope for the best...or the realistic option of moving
on and finding one to correct the mistake and if it's his mistake can
admit it.

Personally I have been fortunate in the sense I'm not in the big city
and locally it's easier to get an idea going in who you are dealing
with....People are known even outside their professional settings..in
my case I went to school with the 1st one I talked about in another
post...and the 2nd one was his recommendation along with some local
knowledge from other sources. The 1st dentist knew my $$$ situation
and knew my lack of being an ideal patient as far as plans &
prevention...he explained this to the 2nd dentist and got his ok
before he recommended me....So went in not totally in the dark and the
dentist wasn't totally in the dark...so far it has worked out ok.

If I win the lotto I might make the call or take the ride over the
hill and let you make me beautiful....of course I'll hold back I was
the one that had the exchange with you on sci.med.dentisty...:)

.

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