Should I switch Dentists, in the middle of a procedure? Help Please!

[GuavaGirl]

I'm new in town and just kind of picked a dentist based on how liked their ad in the phonebook. I really liked them at first, but I'm really disappointed now and not sure what to do.

I have a cavity. I knew I didn't want a filling with mercury in it. This dentist looked in my mouth and saw that I had a couple of white ones (composite?) and right away told me about why she doesn't like them. Then she went on to say that a gold filling is the best, longest lasting, and it's what she puts in all of her employees. I went along with it.

I went and got my cavity drilled and they took the impression, to make the gold filling inlay, and they put in my temporary filling. They sent the impression to the lab, and 2 weeks later I was back to have my filling inlay put in. After a long time of trying, the dentist said it did not fit, and they would have to do a new impression and try again. (at no extra cost to me) Two weeks later, I came back to have the new one (second attempt) put in, and the same thing happened. It didn't fit. Since it had happened twice, the dentist said she was going to take two more impressions herself, talk to her lab, and potentially put a tooth colored crown on my tooth instead. (no extra cost to me) ...but she did mention that's she'd have to drill even more of my tooth off, for the crown.

I'm just so frustrated! Each time I go in, I have to get my mouth numbed, sometimes the appt. takes 2 or 3 hours, because the dentist is trying to do 6 patients at once. I'm just mad, because I would have just gotten the white filling....but I don't even know if I can anymore, because I guess for the gold filling she had to drill off more tooth than normal. I already paid a lot of money for this stupid gold filling, but I just don't know what to do. I thought this might be some sort of fluke, but I was talking to a friend of mine and they are going through the same thing with this dentist!

Should I just say "I'm done with you" and go to another dentist. I mean, I went in for a filling, and now I might be getting a crown!? That just seems weird. If I go to another dentist is there anyway I can get my money back?
I don't have insurance, so I'm paying for all of this myself. I just feel like I'm getting screwed around, because I have no clue what is normal.....and potentially because I'm young.


Anyway, I really need some advice. What should I do?

[doctormom]

I would consider getting a second opinion, and if you get an entirely different treatment plan, go with the dentist who makes you feel most comfortable.

For recommendations, you might consider calling a local dental school (if there is one in your state) or the ER at a really off-peak time (early weekday mornings) to ask who they use for emergency cases. Yellowpages ads are an indicator of how much they paid for advertising, not necessarily skills...and a really excellent dentist will have so much business from referrals, they won't need to advertise much.

[GuavaGirl]

I actually do have a local dental school in my town.

Would I be asking those places for who they use for emergencies, just because I want to find somewhere that can get me an appt. in quick? ...can't most dentists get you in quick if you have a time sensitive issue?

[dds07]

gold fillings really are a great option...it probably is actually the lab that has the issue.

[GuavaGirl]

UPDATE:

After my dentist took two more impressions herself, and talked to the lab, she then decided that she would need to drill some more and do a partial crown. I didn't want to do that, (since I just needed a filling) and along with the poor services and high prices, and the fact that my friend that goes there is having a similar probably with placing a crown, I decided to talk to my sister's dentist. I've switch over to him, and he's putting in a white filling for me on Monday. I told the first dentist, and they didn't put up a fight at all, and gave me all of my money back. (I asked for it, but I was pretty shocked that they gave it all back!) I almost felt like they were relieved that they didn't have to deal with it.