Should My Dentist Refund Me for an Incomplete Denture?

I have dentures anchored by mini dental implants. It was time for the dentures to be replaced. I had a deadline because my husband is being transferred and we need to move. I told the dentist this ahead of time and asked how long it would take to make the denture. He quoted me three weeks. I’m past week nine when it finally came in. Unfortunately, it still needs more work because it doesn’t fit. I don’t know what to do. We’re moving in two days. Do I have the right to a refund or do I need to travel back here to finish this off?

Beatrice

Dear Beatrice,

Let’s talk about the legal aspect of this first. Yes, you are entitled to a refund. This is because he made a verbal contract with you to have it done in three weeks and he didn’t make the deadline. In fact, he didn’t even come close to the deadline.

The second issue here is his skills. Three weeks was the right amount of time to quote to you for replacing your dentures. It is how long it should have taken them. The fact that it took him over nine tells me he was in over his head. This could be because you were using mini implants. These are not a common thing for dentists to work with.

Implant dentistry is pretty unregulated. Without a recognized specialty, dentists can do this without as much training as would be beneficial. This is probably why it is one of the leading procedures being litigated in malpractice suits right now.

Because your dentist took so long and when he finally did get them to you they didn’t fit, tells me he is in this group that doesn’t have the right training.

Getting that Refund

The first thing I would do is just ask him outright for the refund. He didn’t hold up his end of the deal and you have to move. He shouldn’t have a problem with this. If he seems unwilling, you still have some options.

First, is that you threaten to write a bad review. Research has shown the majority of patients check reviews before scheduling an appointment with a new dentist. Your negative review will impact his business.

Second, if he doesn’t cooperate you could also threaten to go to the dental board. There are very few dentists who would want to deal with that. This will be especially true because he should know he is in the wrong.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.