All dental professionals are taught to indentify oral lesions. Anyone from general dentists to oal pathologist or orthodontists. We all have taken oral pathology classes. I am very saddened that some of your providers failed to diagnose in a timely manner. Oral exam is easy to do, even you can do this at home. Look on both sides of your toungue. Check for any areas of whitish patch. Look at the bottom of the toungue as well as floor of the mouth for similiar lesions. Look on both sides of the cheek. Say Ah and look at your tonsils and your throat. If in doubt, go to a dentist for a biopsy. Every single lesion in the mouth must have a diagnosis whether it is an ulcer due to trauma (say from a rough edge of a tooth) or a harmless blocked minor salivary gland. As I mentioned before, it a diagnosis cannot be rendered, see someone else who can. DP

(03/18/2007)
[Your Health]
The Most Dangerous Medical Mistake

As many as 90,000 Americans die each year from medical errors, but the kinds we most fear

Petey - Please send news stories to Sheldon, where they will get put up on the main site. Also your posts are full of returns in them. You don't have to do that, just keep typing when you get to the edge of the block, and the postings will wrap and automatically become dynamic and be as wide as the window someone has open or as small automatically. When you put returns in, it defeats this feature of the posting boards.

OK on the returns. Who is Sheldon? And how do I contact him, or send articles to? Thanks, Petey

Petey,

This is Sheldon's email address [email protected]

Drop him an email and ask him the best format to use.

Jerry

The stats sadden me, the misadventures are difficult to fathom, I am trying through education and continued training not to add to these misadventures.
I agree with Dai, we were all taught and it is simple. We should all be doing our own exams and if you don't like something you feel or see get it evaluated. If your not happy with what you are told get a second and even third opinion.

I had to see four surgeons before I convinced one to biopsy my "cyst". My "cyst" turned out to be "clear cell sarcoma" malignant and very invasive.

We are our own best advocates.

Look after yourself,
Mike

What can I do about a local ENT who continually misdiagnoses/misses obvious H&N/ Oral cancer? This is not just an anomaly. Our Wellness Community group for HNC meets once a month, and every month there is a new story about this guy, how he misdiagnosed cancer, calling it GERD or something and prescribing the purple pill?

A friend of mine died a few years back after being misdiagnosed by this guy. He had tonsil cancer and the ENT told him he had acid reflux. My friend got sicker and sicker and finally went to a legitimate ENT who actually looked down his throat , biopsied and gave him the news.

This local quack is killing people. How can we stop him?

Those of you familiar with Robins story ,or who have read my blog are well aware that Robin was seen 4 times over 6 months by a dentist who totally failed to recognise a tumour on his tongue that went from the surface to the full depth.Robin only went to the Doctor when he developed an egg sized lump in his neck,but because it was on the opposite side to the six month old unhealed ulcer on his tongue,and the dentist had said it was nothing to worry about,he never mentioned it to his GP.As a result his diagnosis was delayed by yet another fortnight while the GP treated him with antibiotics for a possible salivary gland stone.Once we were refferred to the ENT department things moved very rapidly for the simple reason that i went with him and immediately told the ENT registrar about the ulcer and one look at that plus the lump in his neck told him everything he needed to know. He told us straight away that there was a very strong possibility that he had cancer.
The rest as they say is history, but the minute we got home from the first appointment with the hospital,i went straight round to the dentist ,and told him exactly what i thought of his skills or rather his lack of them.
I reported this man to the governing body for all dentists in the UK,and he has to face a disciplinary board on September 11th. The case is being taken on by the fitness to practice department and if he is found guilty of negligence he could be struck off.
So Riley in answer to your question,find out who regulates the ENT doctor and report him.Simple as.!!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm--just a different perspective.

In January, I suddenly had a numb area on my lip--googled it and came to what were--unfortunately--the right conclusions.

Went to doc--his response was 'uh, don't know, see a dentist, if it hurts go to A&E (ER)

Went to dentist--young Spaniard, only reasonable English--full exam, X-Ray of jaw, diagnosed exposed nerve from jaw-thinning, immediate referral to Maxioll-facial surgeon.

The NHS being what it is, the process then took months, during which time I revisited dentist twice as jaw tumour grew and became more painful--he prescribed antibiotics and painkillers twice in case it was an abcess and offered each time to ring hospital for more 'emergency' consult--he obviously was aware of what was happening--it was ME who refused as I was determined to visit my daughter in california 'if only one last time'

I LOVE that dentist!

Brenda

want this to go well i am sending by fax a deatiled letter to jim webb tomoeeow on all my missed stuff. i spoke to a member of his staff today and reminded them that medicare is paying dearly for these mistakes. there is growing cancern about this paying for mistakes.mr webb is my us senitor