Decision report 201103654

Summary

Mrs C complained that her dentist had not ensured the fit of a crown before cementing it in place, and that he would not refund her the full cost of fitting the crown to allow her to receive further treatment at a different dental practice.

We found that the dentist had taken all reasonable steps to ensure the fit of the crown was suitable prior to the cementing, including having the crown remade at an earlier appointment, giving Mrs C the opportunity to check the appearance and position of the crown with a mirror and obtaining her consent before undertaking the cementing.

We noted that Mrs C had already received a refund of the cost of the crown from the dentist as a goodwill gesture, and that other fees she had paid had been for different treatment. We found that if Mrs C was to seek further treatment elsewhere, she would be required to pay the cost of the crown again. As this cost had already been refunded, we did not find that Mrs C was entitled to any further refund.