CASE 1
Background
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Figure 1. Smile showing veneers placed that morning by a previous dentist. |
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| Figure 2. Release of liability statement. |
The phone call from Gina came around 11:30 am. She was sitting in her car in the parking lot outside our office and said, "Please, can you see me today? I just had veneers put on and I can’t walk around like this." My office manager, who took the call, told me she sensed desperation in Gina’s voice. Of course, red warning flags went up with this phone call and yet, being sensitive to the caller’s well-being, my office manager told Gina to come in and we’d see what we might do to help her.
After calming her down, we wanted to know what prompted her to call us. We found out that she left her dentist’s office that very morning, and then called the orthodontist who cared for her as a teenager. Gina pled her case to him and appropriately, he suggested she go back to the dentist who put the veneers on. She described her situation, said, "I can’t go back there," and begged the orthodontist for another dentist’s name. After a long conversation, he reluctantly gave her mine.