As a prerequisite, it needs to be stated that I take absolutely no pleasure in giving such a…read moredreadfully low rating to a doctor, -any- doctor, that appeared to have had my best interests in mind at the time. For a couple years now I debated with myself if I should even post this.. but unfortunately, as I've suffered throughout the years due to what I'd like to believe was a "mistake," this review needs to be written.
In the spring of 2008, my back, right molar woke me up in the middle of the night with terrible, excruciating pain. I'm talking, baseball bat over the head agony. After calling (literally) five practices in town and coming up empty handed for any type of assistance at all, I gave Dr. Curtis a buzz. Their extremely comforting and very understanding receptionist made an appointment for me the very next morning, which I was SO grateful for. Their facilities were clean, well-lit and the staff were all incredibly welcoming and pleasant. After being taken into the examining room, I was greeting by Dr. Curtis who was also amazingly kind and accommodating. I was told I needed the standard drill & filling done. He applied a temporary filing after the cleaning and the next week, I was back for the permanent filling.
At the time, I hadn't had many fillings done in the past (I'm a little obsessive with m teeth!) and was still new to the process. So unfortunately when I noticed my jaw was still inflamed and painful the week after the final filling, I fully believed them when I was told this wasn't a problem and to continue taking antibiotics for another 10 days.
Time passed. I moved to Rhode Island and never had any cause to think about the filling. ....Until last year.
Toward the end of 2012 I began to find myself in unbearable pain. The gums around my back, right molar were totally inflamed, my neck and glands grossly swollen and a terrible, foul liquid was draining out. Additionally, I had flu-like symptoms and severe nausea. Before I was able to get to a dentist (I had lost my job), the filling, along with half my tooth, completely fell apart. I was horrified.
After financial help from my family, I finally saw a primary dentist who confirmed my worst nightmare: not only was I in need of a root canal back in 2008, but the drilling and filling were applied -on top of the exposed nerve.- This lead to a severe dental infection that slowly spread throughout my jaw bone and the rest of my body, leading to several serious health issues I'm still dealing with today.
It was surprising and an absolutely terrible situation I found myself in. At the time I really felt like Dr. Curtis had done a great deal to help me but ultimately, the sloppy work I was given have caused unhealthy, dangerous repercussions I may have to deal with for the rest of my life.
The moral of the story? Always question you dentist/doctor if something doesn't feel right.