Complaint Review: T. Lance Stolworthy DDS - Issaquah Washington

I used to have a beautiful smile. After 2 years of complaints about a bridge that was not installed properly I finally gave up fighting with this dentist.  At the time, I did not know the extent of the damage caused by going to this dentist.  For the past 5 years I have been living in physical discomfort every time I try to chew on the side of my mouth with the bridge.  You ask, "Why didn't I get it fixed?".  Believe me, I've tried.  I had to move out of Washington to be closer to family and so I've had to go to different dentists who all want to charge me to put a new bridge in.  Of course, it's not their fault.  I did go back to Dr. Stolworthy multiple times to get the bridge adjusted also.  So many times in fact that you could see the metal in the bridge after all the adjustments.  When I aked for a new bridge, Dr. Stolworthy told me he would not take it out without charging me for another bridge.  "It will be very expensive" he said to take it out.  On top of all this, he never explained to me that he would be damaging 2 perfectly good teeth to put the bridge in.  Even after I explained to him that I wanted to keep all my teeth.  I guess he thought it was funny that the two teeth he damaged are still technically there.  They were just sanded down to little stubs.  I am so sad about what was done to me. It's so frustrating that I can't even sleep at night.  I don't smile anymore and I can't afford to fix all the damage that was done to my teeth.  I want my teeth back!!!!  Please, please don't let this happen to anyone else.  I've only waited until tonight to report this because the bridge finally fell out and I don't have anyone to turn to.   I can't bear that I lost a perfectly good row of teeth to this dentist and his low class staff who continually tried to overcharge me even though I had 100% coverage.   The bridge was only the biggest issue that has ruined my life and my smile.  Dr. Stolworthy, I believe, also caused other damage to my teeth that was not apparent until after I had moved away from Washington.  I mysteriously had an abscessed tooth in one of the teeth he worked on.  I had to have that tooth pulled.  I also had to have another tooth pulled because it was located above the abscessed tooth and was hitting "high" against that tooth.  So it cracked and I had to have that one pulled as well.  The other horrifying experience I had with this dentist was during a cleaning.  The hygenist that he had at the time was actually very rascist.  You know that sly talk "Oh, I better make sure to get all the chicken and watermelon seeds out of your teeth" type.  And, comments that he tried to explain how much better his sister was than me even though she didn't go to college or something like that.   This guy actually sanded down the point on a tooth on the right side of my mouth.  Making my smile awkward since my teeth are fairly even on both sides and the opposite tooth remained pointed.  There was no reason for him to sand it down.  He said he thought it looked better that way.  Dr. Stolworthy offered no compensation or apology for what the hygenist did.  It was the blond haired, gay male hygenist for reference.  BEWARE!  And finally, during one of the most painful cleanings in my life, Dr. Stolworthy used hot water that burned my gums for days.  I had no idea that it wasn't supposed to be hot. I didn't know much back then and didn't know that what was being done was wrong.  I always try to think the best of people but I don't have lost too many teeth already. Oh, and of course, there were no issues with my wisdom teeth but he insisted he had to pull them.  After pulling taking an extremely long time to pull one he "realized" it was hooked and asked me if I was Asian cause only oriental people have teeth like that.  I don't know how many times I told him I was mixed with Asian, obviously, he only saw the color of my skin.  And, of course, there was nothing wrong with the tooth.  Beware of this predatory dentist.  I am so afraid to go to dentists now because of my lack of knowledge.  Please don't let this happen to you.