Complaint Review: Northridge Dental - Dr. Shawn Matian

I first visited Dr. Shawn Matian at his Encino office for a consultation & I was later treated for a dental infection at his Northridge office (Northridge Dental.) An infection was diagnosed & Dr. Matian began a root canal.  After the visit, I was in considerable pain.  I was told that was normal after a root canal.  I was concerned because I've had many other root canals & only had mild pain for a day or two.  Additionally, I have a permanently numb area on my lower lip & chin, causing me to drool when I eat or speak.  I tried to tell Dr. Matian that something didn't feel right while he was giving me the anesthetic, but he just continued administering it.  Over the next few days, the pain worsened & I saw Dr. Matian again.  He prescribed Codeine, & when that didn't help, he prescribed Hydrocodone.  That didn't help, either; there was no pain relief at all.  Then the side of my face started to swell up & I started to get nauseous & had trouble standing & walking.

I decided to get another opinion from another dentist.  That dentist took an x-ray that showed an incomplete root canal.  He showed me the darkened areas near the bottom of the tooth's root & explained that the dentist who did the root canal (Dr. Matian)  did not go down far enough to treat the infection, then he sealed it, which traps the remaining bacteria, causing the swelling & allowing the infection to spread.  He also said I should have been prescribed antibiotics & gave me some to start taking immediately.  When I told him I had trouble walking & standing, he suggested I get to a hospital immediately.  I went to the ER where I was diagnosed with Sepsis & DKA - conditions that have a rather high mortality rate.  I spent 8 days in the hospital; 3 days in Intensive Care & five days in a regular room.

The second dentist I consulted contacted Dr. Matian & phone & also wrote to him, telling him he was very upset that he put my life in danger with his incompetence.  Dr. Matian also grinded down a bridge that will have to be replaced at a later date - for another $4,500.00.
Until that ordeal, I thought the worst thing a dentist could do was cause a toothache.  If you are Dr. Matian's patient & you need more than basic  teeth cleaning, best of luck to you.