For any kid, finding out you need braces is seriously bad news, but it’s news that parents try to temper by explaining that the orthodontics will only be on for a year or two. And think of the payoff: straight teeth! With that in mind, parents of kids with braces may want to burn this article after reading, because an Oregon teen is suing his orthodontist for leaving his braces on for eleven years.
Devin Bost of Oregon says his orthodontist, Brad Chvatal, D.M.D., put braces on him when he was just seven years old. The braces remained there through periodic check-ups until Bost reportedly got a frantic phone call from the orthodontist’s office when he was 18 and the braces were quickly removed.
(MORE: Dental X-Rays May Be Linked with Brain Tumors)
Dr. John F. Buzzatto, president of the American Association of Orthodontists, told ABC News that, “Kids typically wear braces for only 1 to 3 years.” For somebody to wear braces for 11 years would be “extremely unusual,” Buzzatto said, adding that, “[He] could not think of an instance where that would be the case.” Bost, now 22, is turning to the court to help get to the bottom of the mystery and hopefully get restitution for his pain, suffering, and what Bost believes are permanent injuries to his teeth, mouth and gums. According to the lawsuit, Bost suffered from serious tooth decay and periodontal disease because of his eleven-year battle with the alignment devices.
(MORE: A New Molecule May Make Cavities A Thing of the Past)
When Chvatal was contacted by ABC News, he cited medical privacy rules when declining to discuss the details of the case. He did add that it was “very complicated.” He also claimed that Bost moved to another town while under his care, a claim Bost denies.
According to the report on ABC News, Bost’s complaint, filed Friday in Multnomah County circuit court, seeks $150,000 for pain and suffering, plus $35,100, which Bost’s attorney, David Hollander, said is what his client has had to pay for corrective oral surgery and related expenses. Anyone who has ever suffered trying to eat caramel or apples with braces recognizes that this requested payout might be a low.
MORE: Pardon Me, Love? Oregon Woman Wakes Up From Surgery with a Foreign Accent
MORE: Why More Preschoolers Are Going Under the Dentist’s Drill