Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Letter From a Reader: Thanks to the Doctor, I Lost My Smile!

Image courtesy of www.zenlifesolutions.com

Dear Fashion Pulis,

I would like to share with you and your readers my horrible experience with a dentist in one of the upscale malls in Ortigas. On July 8 of this year, I went to the clinic to have my wisdom teeth extracted. Since this was supposedly a routine extraction, I didn’t go to my family dentist anymore.

That was my biggest mistake.

After the operation, my jaws were numb. Thinking it was due to the anesthesia, I toughed it out. A week went by and still I couldn’t feel anything. When it was time to go back to take out the sutures, I mentioned to the dentist that I still have no feeling on my lower jaw. That’s when he broke the news to me. He said that in some cases, nerves are damaged thus, the loss of feeling on the affected area. I couldn’t believe he was only informing me of that possibility that moment.

The thing was, they claim to be world class; they use state of the art facilities yet, they didn’t see that it was too deep to touch?

It has been more than four months now and I still have no feeling on my lower jaw. It’s been very challenging since it’s weird not to have a feeling on one or some parts of my face. Who knows what other effects this might bring about in the future?

I have consulted other dentists and everyone said it might never heal. If it does, it will never be the same as it was before. They were all surprised that the dentist did not inform me of the possible effects or that he treated the operation the way he did knowing the kind of depth where my wisdom teeth were might result to the loss of feeling on my jaws.

I hope others can learn a thing or two from my experience. Aside from the background check one must do on any surgeon, research on their works, as well. Ask all the questions you might have and ask to be informed of worst case scenarios so you can decide if you want to push through with the procedure or not.

More power to you, FP! And thank you for being an effective vehicle to inform the public of what is really out there.

Sincerely,
Zharmagne Dizon

76 comments:

  1. Scary!

    How come the dentist didn't even gave a simple briefing on whats going to happen. Diba thats SOP on medical procedures?

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  2. grabe katakot ayaw maganyan wew

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  3. And oh, i think I know what clinic is this... The doctor definitely didn't make the letter sender smile. heck, they didn't even care at that center!

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  4. He hit a nerve while giving anesthesia. "blind hit".

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  5. aaawww, sumasakit pa naman ang ngipin ko ngayon. takot ako!

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  6. OMG!! Dyan dapat mag papatreatment ung cousin ko for her malocclusion. Natuwa kasi siya dun sinabi nung front-liner nila na may movie thingy sila while being treated by country's top dental experts daw. Her schedule pa naman ay this Friday na buti na lang, kung hindi baka mawalan din ng smile ung cousin ko, Thanks FP

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  7. Search paresthesia. I think yun ang nangyari sayo.

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  8. search paresthesia. I think yun ang nangyari sayo.

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  9. OMG. You have to sue this doctor and remove his license to practice unless you signed a waiver form releasing the doctor and the clinic for any liability. Then try researching for doctors here and abroad who could fix your problem then let that clinic pay for all the expense and also your lost of income.

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  10. That really happens in some cases. Thats paresthesia. I'm a dentist your over reacting dear! Take B complex vutamins :)

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    1. *you're.. hayz dentist daw
      *vitamins..

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  11. I had a very bad experience also in that horrible clinic. For the past 4 months pabalikbalik ako sa clinic na yan pero di naman nila maayos-ayos ang ginawa nila. Got tired of going back there kahit sobra laki nagastos ko.

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  12. omg.. anong dental clinic to?? scary :( i cant get ur hint.. :( u said nasa title but i still cant get it :'(

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  13. Jana, pag nagspespeech ka diba tumatayo ka minsan sa podium? hanapin mo dental clinics doon

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  14. haay, hindi kagalingan ang dentist. medical malpractice yan teh, idemanda mo na. ikaw c charmagne dizon na teacher sa dls-csb?

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  15. My hubby went to this clinic too to have a regular prophylaxis done... He was talked into having his teeth braced.. He agreed... Lo and behold! Lalo pumangit ang teeth nya... Then he transferred to another dentist where the damage was fixed but we have to spend a lot for this.... Sana makarma ang dentist na eto

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  16. To the dentist (Nov.22, 2011 12:47AM) who commented that the patient was over reacting, Ikaw kaya magka ganyan what would you react specially when you where not informed that it could happen and besides it has been more than four months and still the numbness is there. As patients we deserve to be informed of everything before proceeding with the extraction or any dental surgeries to be perform on us. Be careful with your comment nag pantig ang tenga ko when I saw your post.

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  17. omay! dental problems can sometimes be traumatic becoz of cases like this. i've heard so many horror stories about dental care gone bad. i've had 2 molars extracted already, the other one i had to go through minor surgery becoz the tooth wasnt properly aligned and extracting it normally wouldnt be possible. thank God it went well. i had it removed in a mall clinic lang. i hope the numbness on your lower jaw will disappear soon. God bless.

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  18. I would rather say that the dentist was negligent. I tried reading jaw paresthesia and some are serious conditions.

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  19. If it were as easy as drinking B complex vitamins, dont you think the clinic could've mentioned this? I am sure she signed a waiver because that's SOP so, suing is not an option...

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  20. @Anon November 22, 2011 12:47 AM - either your the dentist involved or your worse than that dentist!

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  21. Again, let us be more pro-active with issues like this. Meaning, this should be forwarded to proper authorities/agencies, or in this case - PDA (Phil Dental Association). Zharmagne, PDA welcomes complaints like this and therefore I am encouraging you to file a formal complaint against the erring dentist . Please refer below for the link to the group's complaint form.

    http://www.pda.ph/pda-complaint-form

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  22. this is a serious thing. first of all the patient is looking for a cure not for a more problems. im feel sorry for the patient.

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  23. oooh!i think i know na kung saan ito...based sa comment ni anonymous November 22, 2011 7:41 AM...
    i also had my wisdom tooth extracted last two weeks...one of my office-mates suggested that i should go there kasi we have a discount daw...but thank god!right choice pala na hindi na ako pumunta dun..
    sa ortigas din ako..pero different mall...first time ko dun magpa-tooth extraction..pero ang galing nila and mas cheaper pa ^_^

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  24. First thing they needed to do was to inform you of the possible risks. Sometimes, when you turn 25 or older and you have your wisdom tooth extracted, it could be risky because of your bone maturation and the location of the inferior alveolar nerve (the nerve for sensation in your mouth)

    I guess a branch of that nerve was accidentally nipped when the dentist extracted your tooth. It's a form of malpractice if they didn't inform you of the possible risks, or didn't even bother to tell you they did something wrong. :)

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  25. did they let you sign a waiver form? if wala then may laban ka...

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  26. hi there....my husband who is dentist said that it will go back to its normal sensation again after taking vitamin B12 but the bad news it that it would really take awhile....but there is still chance

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  27. To the dentist: Nov 22, 2011, 12:47

    Im a dentist too, and based on your comment, i say that u seriously need to go back to school or better yet, just change your profession.

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  28. I've been taking Neurobion500mg ever since as directed by that doctor to no avail. I've gone to a professional dentist in New York just last month only to be told that if and when the feeling comes back, it will never be the same. It has been (4) FOUR long months and still no sensation to my lower jaw. To the dentist who said i'm over reacting, i hope this happens to you and let's see how you will react.

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  29. First of all, no such thing as "routine" extraction or any dental procedure for that matter kasi hindi lahat ng cases are the same. Kaya importante na pumunta sa respected and qualified na dentists. Hindi dahil discounted or sikat yun doktor.

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  30. i had my wisdom teeth extracted. the second one was just last year. my dentists did not exactly tell me the risks, but they said something like they do not want to touch any nerves, and as much as possible kunting bones lang yung ma-reremove. siguro the reason why they don't exactly tell is para hindi lalong maparanoid or matakot ang patient.. may kamahalan nga ang procedure. it's different from the usual extraction na ginagawa sa ibang teeth or molars. they even let me prepare 1 week before the schedule. but anyway, both procedure went well naman, the doctors gave me their numbers and told me to call anytime if may problema. sa second procedure lang, may hard lump sa bandang ilalim ng jawline na medyo matagal nawala. i dunno if it was related to the procedure i've undergone, pero ok na naman ngayon... i hope yours will be fine too. hope it will get better with vitamin B12 like they said, and it's not something serious or long-term. it's better talaga to stay with the dentist na nakagawian mo na kasi may experience na sila sa dental history mo, they have your records, etc. kahit sa mga simple or routine procedures or check up lang. Wish you well.

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  31. Oh my! This is scary!!!

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  32. dun sa mga natatakot at ayaw ng magpa odontectomy, surgical removal of impacted teeth, you may want to weigh the pros and cons. There are numerous diseases that can arise from having impacted tooth such as cysts and tumors among others. hindi naman porket it happened to the letter sender hindi na rin tayo magpapagamot. Meron naman mga qualified specialists and of course do our part diligently by asking questions dun sa doctor prior to signing the waiver.

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  33. I had my wisdommteeth removed dati pa tapos after nun nalo lock na jaw ko, mgayon parang may tmj na ko

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  34. OMG no!!!! Jesus no! This is the horrible, to date! Press charges againts the dentist due to negligence. I hope this does not happen to all the doctors' patients. This is not a joke. If that ever happened to me, I swear there'd be bloodshed. Imagine the permanence of your loss? You are bound to carry this forever just because of other people's negligence. You do not deserve this - no one. I'm so sorry for you. Please take legal actions on this matter ASAP.

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  35. the lack of sensation might still come back if properly treated, do warm compress on the involved area as often as possible, unless the nerve was totally cut it could still recover. vit B1B6B12 might also help but warm compress is more preferable. the owner of that said clinic is a good man and you can easily talk to him, i am not just sure about his dentist specially the one who did your case.

    dentista co

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  36. To the dentist (Nov.22, 2011 12:47AM) : What is you name and name of your office? For me to avoid such dentist like you. Poor poor education, no ethics whatsoever.

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  37. Never knew how scary this was! I had my 2 upper molars extracted & surgery for my 2 lower wisdom teeth when I had my braces back in highschool. My dentist never informed me of this but everything went well & normal after a week. So all the while, I really thought these things are just normal -- as routine as teeth cleaning. But after reading this, extractions are really delicate procedures. I really do hope everything will be OK for you soon.

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  38. This also happened to me. I had 2 3rd molars extracted in January. My lips and some part of my lower jaw went numb. My dentist prescribed me vitamin B complex. I take one capsule a day. Now, only some parts my lips feel a little numb. :) You may want to ask your dentist about it. :D

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  39. This dental clinic is in the mall near St. Francis Square. When you go to their clinic, pag labas mo di ka na maka-smile sa sobrang disappointment at sa laki ng nagastos mo. Never again will I go back there. Sobra ganda nga ng clinic nila but their dentists are not well-trained.

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  40. OMG dami pa naman mga deal sites na kumuha sa dental clnic na to. meron pang 50% off on tooth extraction! search niyo guys!

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  41. The clue is on the title and smiley pic, that's the name of that horrible dental clinic. I guess their patients are frowning paglabas ng clinic nila.

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  42. Thank you Ms. Dizon for posting your bad experience to this dental clinic. Sana magsara na sila. Instead of helping people seeking dental treatment lalo lang nila pinalalala. You will think this is a good clinic because of their state of the art facilities but you will regret it after your treatment.

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  43. Out of curiosity I googled the clue provided above to know which dental clinic is involved here. And so I read some more and chance upon this article - tooth for thought. It's obviously a press release but as I'm about to finish reading it I'm amazed how advanced this clinic must be with this so called cutting edge technology and all. You would think with all these latest gadgets and services to appease nervous patients there's little room for error. Sadly only the dentist who perform this procedure can tell what went wrong.
    I do hope you'll get better soon.

    -SMI in dxb

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  44. bakit ano sabi ni dentist Nov.22, 2011 12:47AM? deleted na comment, FP?

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  45. I'm sure she signed a consent form before pursuing the procedure. Everything is stated on those forms...

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  46. You will be amazed on how advanced this dental clinic looks but don't be fooled, I know, because I had bad experience there. Small clinics are far better.

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  47. As is often the case, the nerve may just have been compressed, not cut or severed. The numbness should go away soon. Vit. B complex will help. From your narration, this seems like a deep difficult case. Research shows numbness is always probable in such cases. The dentist was able to get the tooth out and perhaps ought to be given some credit. Hope you get better soon.

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  48. Agree. Everything is on the consent form. If you signed one then you have no habol already. Why dont you go back to the dentist and let him re assess your case and give you proper treatment. I hope you get well soon.

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  49. You can sue for damages, you know. It's a tort on the part of the dentist. Consult a lawyer coz sobra namang kapabayaan sa part ng dentist na yan!

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  50. I suggest you go back to the dentist and let him know. Wag ka na magpunta pa sa ibaibang dentist kasi di naman nila alam what exactly happened during the procedure and yung case mo. You will feel bad lang pag mag hop ka into other dentist kasi iba iba sasabihin.
    People wag po tayo magalit masyado sa dentist. Professional pa din yun. Tsaka may mga narinig na ko na ngkaganyan. Kasama talaga sa complications ng surgery yun.

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  51. I believe this is an isolated case, ive been a patient of this clinic and i referred most of my friends here including my family members. You will be impressed with their world class facility as they brag it hence the charge. What you see is what you get. I hope you visit your dentist soon. Get well soon. :)

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  52. I don't think this is an isolated case. I've been a patient of this clinic, too and I kept going back there for almost 4 months na rin to fix the problem that I am complaining pero ganun pa rin, no improvement. I was impressed nga with their facility that's why I decided to try that clinic. I am so disappointed and regret going there.

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  53. I hope you could share which clinic this is since I also go to a dental clinic in Ortigas. I'm afraid na baka sya yung dentist ko or baka mapuntahan pa ng family and friends ko so parang warning na. What happened to you is serious so I hope everyone can be warned, by giving us more info. thanks

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  54. For the one who post a comment about having a lock jaw episodes due to the removal of the third molar that is very unlikely to happen. you should have your bite checked for it. removing the third molar actually eases the tightness in the occlusion. But for the rest, i do agree that the dentist was negligent. It is the right of the patient to know the pros and cons of the procedure but always in the best interest of the patient. these accidents really happen, there is remedy and ways to prevent them too.There are good reasons why third molars need to be removed and the dentist should be given the trust that they care about your whole welfare. That is why don't be baffled with clinics in the malls. Most of the time you won't be treated by the Head Dentist unless you request.

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  55. This dental clinic has alot of dental consultants who are qualified and trained. Ask for a consultant next time and ask which dental school he graduated from.

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  56. This dental clinic has qualified consultants. If you are paying that much, ask for a consultant. You may also want to check which dental school he graduated from.

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  57. If this smiley clinic has qualified consultants, then why so many problems and complains regarding this clinic.

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  58. I had the similar experience in a dental clinic in 5th floor Megamall. Its just an ordinary tooth filling (pasta) but in a few weeks the filling fell off. When I returned to the same clinic, they claimed that the dentist was fired due to multiply complaints from other patients and a senior dentist will redo my filling. Then after a few weeks again, same thing happened. Di na ako babalik sa clinic na iyon. Lahat yata hinde naggraduate ng tama eh.

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  59. My bad experience happened in a dental clinic in Podium. They said they have qualified specialists, but I am not satisfied with the treatment I got. When you see their world class facility, you will think you will get the best treatment but it was a big mistake.

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  60. On a different note... Zharmagne Dizon are you the one na nagsasabi na you own (your husbands family DAW) Dizon Farms but Hindi naman?? Hmmm

    Violetta

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  61. I know that Clinic. You must sue the Doctor

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  62. Anonymous, I never said my husband owns Dizon Farms. That is the funniest and most ridiculous comment. Reveal your identity so we can talk properly. In fact, the owners of Dizon farms are our family friends, my mom is from Davao, so it is very unlikely for me to say that we are related to Dizon Farms. I'm sure you're just one of them that wants to instigate a gossip, a cheap one that is.

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  63. Hi Violetta!

    Yes, that's me! I tell the world that my husband's family owns DIZON FARMS! Para sikat ako diba? Yahooo!!

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  64. I had my impacted wisdom tooth extracted in by a prof/dentist in a class of 5 students.... The dentist/prc board member/teacher did informed me about it, pero its the dentist's mistake if it happens. In my case, malaki possibility na manyayari un kasi x-ray showed that right beneath my tooth lies the nerve... sobrang lapit.... so the original plan of sectioning it in 3 becomes 6, and the 6th part(almost tip ng root closest to the nerve) was not remove. Possibilities are it will grow or matunaw nalang... That was 3 yrs ago and until now, no prob...
    My point is, it is completely a mal-practice if it happens!

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  65. My extractions went well in this clinic--they should have taken an x-ray to see nerves that they would possibly hit during the procedure. Their clinic is really cool, by the way...too bad.

    However, they almost did a procedure on me for a certain concern, and thank goodness I got a second opinion and that concern was addressable by a less troublesome procedure.

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  66. OMG! You can sue them for negligence! This will teach the others to take their jobs seriously...it's just so sad that there are so many professionals with these fancy titles added to their names when in reality, they don't know anything about their profession. Go sue them!!!

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  67. Maybe we should call the clinic Doctor Sad.

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  68. same thing happened to me.almost a year ago when i underwent such operation. til now my jaw cant feel anything.

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  69. This is grounds for malpractice. In selecting your dentist, we should research first about the clinic and the dentist.

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  70. yeah Zharmagne thats what youve been telling your friends from CSA right? And please dont say that the owners of Dizon Farms are your family friends. I am one of the owners and I do NOt know your family.


    TD

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    1. Really? then you're a poser. I know the owners PERSONALLY. I don't care what you think. You're just inventing stories. I pity you. Do your research well.

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  71. Cheap gossip my a** ! lol! Whos pretending, me or you?

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    1. I don't know where your angst is coming from. I hope you find peace in whatever hurt or hate you have in your system.

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  72. Dental Victim, go to a lawyer. Waiver does not have any weight or use if its contrary to public morals or public policy and public policy is: a dentist or any person for that matter should exercise due diligence of a good father of a father everything that he does. No amount of waiver can exonerate a negligent person from liability. Good luck.

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