What to do?

[seminoles]

10 hours ago, Buck52 said:

 With me this was a VA Employee  a prosthodontist, Specialist, or she is suppose to be??

she may do C&P Exams I don't know.

  but for me this was just getting me new partials because the ones I did have, my teeth shifted or something  they stop fitting correctly.even after boo coos of adjustments,  so they said they will make me some new ones.  what a Joke that turn out to be...

This dentist  she  was very rude when I ask questions, when she made the mold for the partials and mixed up that clay stuff  she did not put the clay in some cups that fit around my teeth, she took her fingers and just poked that stuff inside my mouth and was very rough about it, I could kinda tell they won't fit right when she gets them back and I was right.

 After she got finished making the molds, she sent me on my way and said to me to  they would call me in for a fitting when they come in.2/3 weeks.

I said yes mam and thanked her and left the cubical area. (Dentist Chair)

I went out front to the clerks and they said I need to go to the restroom and rinse that mold off my mouth  its all over my upper and lower lips (how embarrassing that was to me everyone looking at me), grrrr

This Dentist showed no respect to me what so ever , after I came back for adjustments she said my partials were suppose to be lose they will not fit like your normal teeth, I said yes mam I realize that and I need to get use to them, but I disagree about them fitting lose and snapping, she was argumentative and said ''I been doing this now over 20 years and I know partials are suppose to be lose and you just have to re--snap then back in every time they do...I said every time I bite down they do this and they don't fit right they hurt, she said yes just get use to them..

, anyway these partials hurt they do not fit me right they go to far into my gums and when that happens  its excruciating pain..she said well you just have to get use to it and besides they are free no cost to you.

The dentist had a resident to make the adjustments...she went back and forth sanding these new partials several times over an hour, but none of it was doing any good  on the 6th trip back to the sander I told her  that's ok lets just stop..so the resident stop..I never have NOT been able to wear these new partials, and now its  been about 6 months since this all took place back in July this year. (TAKES FOR EVER TO GET INTO THE DENTIST )

of course this dentist never mention any of this in her Notes...so its my word against hers. who do you think they will believe? The Dentist of course!

They are  highly educated in this field and the Veteran is just stupid and don't know about teeth...I may not know about teeth but I know what pain feels like   even the patient advocates will probably believe her   if they get their teeth fixed there...eh!

We Veterans just don't have a fighting chance, we take what they will do for us or we get NOTHING. or just do with out.

I have to go see her the 12th I do not want to see this Dentist ever again..I am going to ask the clerks at the front if I can see another dentist?

This is why I hate the VA, you can have a great provider or a horrible one like this, my dentist is amazing, one of my best "specialty" clinic doctors............but I have other that are horrible and you are right, it is our word against theirs and when we complain they act as if we are clearly just complaining for no reason??  yeah, okay.  Meanwhile, in the "real" world we would have just gone to another dentist and not had to say a word to anyone as to why, this is why I hate that we have to justify switching providers, at least at the VA I use.  I would try to see if you can go to another VA dental close to you and hopefully that dentist is more competent and definitely treats you better, not like someone who is "getting something for free" ????  What is that all about, that would really tick me off.  Definitely go to a bigger dental clinic maybe at the regional hospital and have them look at your partial, there is no reason for any veteran to be suffering.........why make something at all if you aren't going to do it right in the first place?   Best of luck!!

[Buck52]

seminoles

I agree with ya

but I need to kiss ass or be careful this is my only healthcare I got in the whole wide world.  they got us on that and they know it...grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Edited December 10, 2018 by Buck52

[Berta]

Thank you BigRedDog and others here for the info I needed.

I found info at VES site that supports my initial OAWB complaint, and just sent that along with info for an additional tenative complaint about C & P examiners-

I am still working on the C & P complaint-this stuff takes lots of time to do- because I research diligently and aways send in documented evidence with my complaints.

Every claim I ever had got lousy C & P exams, with no regard at all for the evidence they had.But those claims were all awarded anyhow-

So I have plenty of personal evidence as to how recklessly these C & P exams are done, for many of us.

And NVLSP is quite aware of these problems:

“This report confirms our worst fears that the VBA examiners are ill-prepared to properly assess a veterans’ disability.  A bad assessment can have catastrophic consequences on a veteran and his or her family,” said Stichman. (NVLSP-regarding the GOA report)

But I am only one person fighting over this unconscionable travesty of the reckless way many of  these exams are handled- geared solely to Deny the claim ,as a VA claimant myself.

The OAWB has to hear from veterans as well and many of you have had "catastrophic consequences"to you and your family because this situation has gone on for years and nothing was done about it.

 

https://www.va.gov/accountability/

 

 

 

 

 

[seminoles]

2 hours ago, Buck52 said:

seminoles

I agree with ya

but I need to kiss ass or be careful this is my only healthcare I got in the whole wide world.  they got us on that and they know it...grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Yep, same here I have no other choice either and it stinks!! I only do something if it is causing me a big issue, like what you are experiencing.  It isn't worth your quality of life to be living in pain.  I would simply be on a trip to a farther away larger facility and happen to go in for a pain visit at the dental clinic and tell them you just can't stand it anymore, etc.  No harm no foul, you aren't ratting her out, you are just some dumb veteran who is in pain and doesn't know why..........good grief, sad you have to even think about doing that. 

[Navy04]

Sorry to hear of such bad disrespect, not surprised though. Since I retired in 13, I have gone round and round with the VA Dentist. I have had to take out most of my teeth due to my SC Crohns vomiting acid eroding the enamel. The VA dentist kept putting basically bondo on the teeth and it would fall off or dissolve in a matter of months. It went on like this from 2013 til January this year. Finally I got tired of it and went to a local Dentist and could not believe the shotty work the VA Dentist had been doing all these years. Even with my Tricare Delta Dental plan it cost me 4k to have 6 front teeth removed and partials made. It was quite a painful process to go thru, and I got a blood clot in my mouth, infection and 24 stitches to boot. In the end I have a better smile then before, which at 36 It really means alot to me, but just so sad what the VA made me go thru. My Local VA told me to submit all the Receipts and I would be reimbursed, guess what not a single dollar, as the 1 Single VA Oral Surgeon in Dallas Said it was not needed, even though I was 5 yrs over due. Sorry for the rambling, and even more sorry to continue to see Vets go thru this. Every time I go to the VA, they talk about me being Priority 1 Group, (100% SC), Wounded Warrior, Blah Blah, in the End all I am is a Bad Statistic that looks good on the Wounded Warrior Commercials!!!