1 /5 C A: WRONG TOOTH - ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY
Attached shows an obviously massive infection just above tooth #3, the tooth that was SUPPOSED to be treated. I was referred to him by my general dentist specifically for tooth #3 (in writing).
Here is an exact quote from an email Dr Sayman sent to my general dentist “Lesion is huge and maxillary sinus is affected. THE PLAN IS TO REMOVE CROWN T#3 and evaluate for cracks. I told her prognosis of T#3 is guarded. She is willing to try.”
I had a long consultation where we spoke in great detail about the infection and possible risks. He stated that there was a chance the retreatment may fail (= extraction). I was fine with proceeding despite the risk because of the pain. He briefly mentioned #2 may also need a root canal, but emphasized how #3 was causing my chief complaints & how we would proceed with the treatment of #3.
Despite all of this - he performed a root canal on the OTHER tooth (#2)
The mistake wasn’t the most egregious part. It was the fact he didn’t care & took ZERO responsibility once he was aware.
As soon as I left & noticed I calmly called every few hours. Finally his assistant said he was gone for the weekend. He only returned my calls after my husband found out what occurred & called saying we would consult an attorney.
Once he did speak to me- instead of owning up to what was IN WRITING TWICE. He dismissively asked me if I knew his “credentials” and told me he was in surgery and couldn’t be bothered... My appt ended before lunch & he left the office for the weekend without calling???
I had no explicit indication or even implied reason that another tooth would take precedence. He gave a brief reason (which other endodontists disagreed with) only AFTER the fact & did not reply to any follow up questions.
I’m not saying I wouldnt have eventually addressed issues w/ the other tooth. However, #3 was the priority & needed treatment urgently. Dental insurance has max benefit amounts it will pay per year. So I was well aware a single root canal + crown would exceed that. There was zero obscurity in the treatment plan. His mistake cost me thousands- as I was not able to delay treatment on tooth #3, but I could’ve briefly delayed treatment on #2 into the new year.
My experience with this office was equivalent to calling a plumber because your house is flooding and them fixing a leaky faucet instead.
I believe practitioners should be compensated for their time, but I also believe any competent practitioner would have offered to do the correct root canal for free or at least at a discount. They didn’t even have the empathy to offer me dental financing knowing that after performing work on the wrong tooth I’d be out over 3k (including the crown).
I immediately saw another endodontist who was floored that this occurred. Although the subsequent Dr had no fault in this mistake, the new Dr felt so bad that he did discount my treatment for the appropriate tooth (despite me not asking, or fishing, for it). The treatment was flawless btw. I have consulted with several dentists & endodontists since (with imaging) not one of them could justify not treating the infected painful tooth first (despite risk of failure).
This happened several years ago. I wrote this then, but never submitted it for a few reasons: I was considering legal action. Its stressful to relive. I didn’t want to cause drama for my referring dentist who has since moved.
As a healthcare professional myself, I know mistakes happen. This is relevant because so many complaints stem from patients not understanding their treatment plan, the system, their coverage, or costs. This was not my situation. The more I work with outstanding providers- the more glaring how truly negligent Dr Sayman was. His lack of accountability upon becoming aware of his error was shameful. I only wish I would’ve posted this sooner to warn others
