I saw Dr. Altman for a single extraction of a partially erupted wisdom tooth. I did so under local anesthetic and afterwards I was told that it was an easy extraction and that I needed no other follow up or meds and that I would heal well since it was so easy. Unfortunately, I had to return the following week due to unrelieved pain even with around the clock high-dose ibuprofen and acetaminophen. I continued to be unable to eat more than soft foods and couldn't wear my retainers or even brush that quadrant of my mouth due to pain. I was diagnosed with a "little infection", Dr. Altman irrigated the wound and I was sent home with an antibiotic prescription.
Then two weeks after my procedure and after the sixth day of antibiotics, I was 80% improved but only had one more day of antibiotics left. I was still experiencing pain when biting on cereal, and I was still unable to brush all of my teeth well due to pain. I called to ask if another few days of antibiotics might be best, due to reduced by continuing symptoms, so that we could ensure adequate treatment. I was told that I should be expect to feel "sore" and I let them know that this was not mere soreness but pain, and that my adult son who had 4 teeth out at once, had a much better experience. I was told by the assistant that at my age that I shouldn't expect to heal that well (I'm 59, so apparently having twice the pain for a quarter of the extractions seems normal to them...or maybe they people my age shouldn't expect care for their pain) and that I should be expecting pain. I was also told that the antibiotics given to me as treatment for infection, were prophylactic, and so I had to stop the assistant right there and call it out as being untrue; since if you are treating a diagnosis, then you are no longer preventing a problem but treating it. I was then told that if I wanted, that I could come in.
So I asked if they could see me at 12 noon and I was told yes, but then got a text message saying that my appointment was at 1130 and I had to call again. I was then told to do my best to come in by 1145. This really seemed unnecessarily passive-aggressive on the part of the assistant.
And when I came in the doctor did notice some "swelling", did another irrigation which caused pain which shot up into my jaw and then said that there were no signs of infection. "Except swelling and pain," I replied. He told me that there was a bit of food there (it was a 2 mm speck of cornflakes from 3 hrs before that I saw in the cup) and that since I was 60 years old, I shouldn't expect to heal like a teenager and that I could expect 2 to 3 MORE weeks of pain. I clarified that this would be a total of 5 weeks of pain from a single extraction and he said that yes, that this was correct. (Note: this is not what they said before my procedure or afterwards nor is it is written in their own handouts.)
I'm a health care provider and educator and I let him know that in my field we treat people for infection at least until symptoms are resolved but apparently OM3 would rather risk antibiotic resistance through inadequate treatment than they would approve 3 more days of continuing antibiotic treatment. (NOTE: It's the same risk of antibiotic resistance if the doctor undertreats you or the patient undertreats themselves with an insufficient course of antibiotics.) I was told that if I got worse again that then they would prescribe more antibiotics but not otherwise.
I was then told that I could continue a prescribed antiseptic mouthwash and I had to remind them that they hadn't prescribed one. Then they decided to prescribe this. So I was also told by the assistant that the pharmacies take a while so to call the pharmacy before picking it up first. This is another lie that they tell at this practice; I had called my pharmacy before picking up my antibiotics, and it wasn't actually sent in by OM3. Instead it's OM3's system that causes the delays, but they tell people that it's the pharmacy so you won't complain.
Please note that I am a health care provider myself and I've never done this sort of review for another provider before, since I know how hard healthcare is, but I was SO disrespected, and treated in a manner that seemed so discriminatory on the basis of age that I felt that I needed to write this. I would note that this same practice offered me general anesthetic and nitrous for the single extraction, and I had declined both since I usually manage pain well; my own regular dentist has praised my pain tolerance and I never took a narcotic for any of this pain but took the limits of NSAID therapy and ice but somehow it's too much for me to have another 3 days of antibiotics, even after a diagnosis of infection with continued swelling and pain? Is it that they are only happy to do the meds that they can bill for? Or is it just straight up age discrimination? All I know is that it's bad care. read more
