I was severely screwed by the family dentist when I was 17. He scheduled a filling on a tooth with no problems of any kind, in fact I had no complaints about any of my teeth. On the day of the filling, he had extreme trouble drilling because the tooth was so solid and hard. Strangely he was trying to drill really deep, when I would have thought he would be just putting a little surface filling on.

And then suddenly he did something that gave me the horrifying realization that I was being completely screwed. He very flamboyantly turned the drill about 45 degrees and drilled right through the front of the tooth!!! No comments, no explanations. Again he had extreme difficulty because the tooth was so hard and solid. I knew the jerk was dirty because I had had one or two minor fillings early in my life and knew that's not what you do in a minor filling on a very healthy tooth. When he was done he packed the filling down the center of the tooth and put a little extra over the hole he had drilled through the front of the tooth.

I never went back and saw other dentists for 30 years. Then in the 30th year, this tooth started hurting because of the damage that he did, and I had to have a root canal and soon after that an implant after the root canal failed because the tooth developed a hairline crack where he had drilled through the front. I have never had or needed any other dental work (except cleanings) since that dirty dentist wrecked that tooth, and having to have that tooth out 30 years later was a complete anomaly because all my teeth are well cared for and in nearly perfect condition. In fact I have habits and genes and diet similar to my mother, who only has a couple of fillings all the way through old age.

I suffered greatly through the year-long process of the root canal and the implant. I had to go back repeatedly to my current dentist and the specialists so that each step of the process could be completed. It was a grueling experience that never should have happened.