Grinding on tooth causes patient to need root canal; $7,000.00 settlement.

Plaintiff was a 30 year old pressure cleaning mechanic who underwent the construction of a three unit dental bridge by the defendant general dentist. The temporary bridge came loose shortly before the permanent bridge was to be cemented and the plaintiff walked around without the temporary for a few days. During that interval, the teeth shifted and when the plaintiff returned to the defendant for the final cementation of the bridge, the bridge wouldn’t fit.

The defendant attempted to machine out the inside of the molar crown of the bridge and ground down the molar, which significantly traumatized the nerve. The bridge was eventually cemented but the patient was in extreme pain. The subsequent treating dentist had to do a root canal on the molar which relieved the patient’s pain.

Once he was out of pain, the patient quit the subsequent treater, complaining that his fees were too high. He began seeing another subsequent treater but never returned to have the bridge finished, by either of his two subsequent treating dentists.

The case settled for $7,000.00 at a mediation conference. Broward County (FL) Circuit Court. Kenneth P. Liroff, D.D.S., J.D., of , Ft. Lauderdale, FL represented the plaintiff. William Zei, Esq., of Peterson, Bernard, et al., Fort Lauderdale, FL, for the defendant.