GALVESTON - Local resident Chris Ammons has filed suit against George H. Johnson Jr. D.D.S., complaining the defendant lied about the quality of materials used to construct his crowns.
According to a lawsuit filed May 30 in Galveston County District Court, Ammons discovered that one of the crowns was built with a metal that was of low quality during a visit to the defendant's office approximately five months ago.
Court papers show Ammons previously saw Dr. Johnson for therapeutic pulpotomies, root canal therapy, crown buildup and the placement of the crowns in question.
In late December 2009, the plaintiff paid the defendant nearly $800 for a porcelain-fused-to-high-noble metal crown, the suit states.
He returned last Jan. 23 to have the crown fitted when he observed the packing slip for the crown and noticed what he thought was a mistake.
"Disturbingly, the packing slip containing the plaintiff's crown indicated that the metal used was not high noble; instead, the crown was constructed of porcelain-fused-to-base metal (nickel and chromium)," the original petition says.
"After realizing that the metal used by the laboratory to construct his crown was of lower quality than that the defendant represented he would receive, the plaintiff took the crown (for which he paid on Dec. 27, 2011) and packing slip and left the defendant's office."
The suit further explains that porcelain-fused-to-base-metal crowns "are more difficult to work with and do not fit teeth as intimately."
Consequently, Ammons seeks unspecified monetary damages.
Attorney David L. Hutchins of Houston is representing the plaintiff, and Galveston County 56th District Court Judge Lonnie Cox is presiding over the case.
Case No. 12-cv-1299