Violeta A · 1 out of 5 stars · a month ago
I was a patient of Dr. Aerni for several years and underwent extensive dental work, including implants, sinus elevation, bone grafting, braces, root canal , etc . After he placed six implants during a same-day bone grafting and implant procedure, one implant failed before a temporary crown was even placed. Shortly afterward, I began experiencing severe jaw pain. Dr. Aerni wanted to repeat the implant surgery, but I decided to seek a second opinion at the Cleveland Clinic. There, I learned that my jaw was displaced. When I informed Dr. Aerni of my condition, he became upset and yelled at me. I decided to leave his care because the way i was treated. After that, he never contacted me to check on my recovery or well-being. I ultimately sought treatment from other dentists, and it took more than two years of therapy and treatment to stabilize my jaw pain. Recently I lost a second implant that Dr. Aerni had placed. A maxillofacial surgeon later determined that the bone grafting he performed had not healed properly and wasn’t good and replacing the failed implant would now carry a significant risk of creating an opening into my sinus. There is much more to my experience, but I am resuming to the most important part . I initially trusted Dr. Aerni because he appeared to genuinely care about his patients. Unfortunately, in my experience, that changed when complications arose from his work . I believe that a good doctor would stay behinds his work and care for his patients . When my husband asked him what he would do if he were in my situation, his response was, “I’m not in her place.” I requested a refund for the failed implant, the unsuccessful bone graft, and crowns that were made in the wrong shade and he promised a refund for those crowns so I could use those funds to help pay for corrective treatment. Instead, we were shown the door. We later received a letter from his attorney ( his relative ) offering a refund only if we agreed to release him from all liability for the all dental work performed on both me and my husband and to keep the matter confidential. We declined because we did not believe it was fair to waive our legal rights in exchange for receiving money back for work that had failed. We attempted to resolve the matter without litigation, but Dr. Aerni informed us that the letter spoke for itself and that he had nothing further to discuss. As a result, we felt we had no choice but going to pursue legal action, despite wanting to avoid the stress and expense. My advice to anyone considering dental implants is to thoroughly research your provider and consider consulting an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, who has specialized training in implant placement and the management of complications. I cannot recommend Dr. Aerni based on my experience. I invested a significant amount of money in his practice, yet when serious complications occurred, I felt abandoned. Even my daughter, who is a physician, attempted to speak with him, but he refused. I am sharing my experience so that others can make an informed decision before choosing their provider.
