SAN ANTONIO — Judy Obregon is the lead singer of the Judy Blues band in the San Antonio area. She loves to sing, but after multiple issues with her teeth she needed to get dentures. A retired dentist, and friend, recommended Obregon go to the UT Health School of Dentistry
“He said it was less expensive and they had good people overseeing the students,” Obregon said.
Unfortunately, one year and more than $6,800 later, Obregon still didn’t have working dentures. Eventually she called KENS 5.
Obregon said her experience with the dental school started off just fine. She had a consultation in late 2022 and the doctor recommended “overdentures” which can snap into place. She said the initial quote for the work was around $3,500.
But then the work started. Obregon had 10 teeth removed in January of 2023 and another nine removed in February. The bill for just removing the teeth was already up to $4,446 and the school charged for some additional procedures as well.
By the time Obregon paid for the dentures, she had already spent more than $6,000. She also said the school ended up making her regular dentures, and not the overdentures they agreed on. Regardless, the teeth didn’t work.
“When I put them in at the school, I couldn’t close my mouth, I couldn’t swallow, and I couldn’t speak.” Obregon said. “I had to take out the bottoms to tell them this isn’t going to work. The doctor actually told me I was being negative.”
The school asked her to give the dentures a trial run, and she did take them home, but Obregon struggled to even get them in her mouth.
“You can’t eat. You can’t do anything with them,” Obregon said.
Finally, in January of 2024, Obregon said another doctor at the UT Heath School of Dentistry offered to give her a refund. Obregon waited several months for the refund, and returned the dentures, but four months later they still hadn’t processed the check. She said she called multiple times, and wrote two complaint letters, but the office was still “working on it” as of May. She also didn’t know if they were giving her a full refund or only a partial refund.
Obregon had spent the last year eating nothing but soup, mashed potatoes, creamed rice, and oatmeal. She had waited enough.
“I’m calling channel 5, that’s it!” Obregon said.
KENS 5 documented Obregon’s issue and sent emails to multiple UT Health dentist school administration offices to inform them we were airing a story and to ask if Obregon would be getting a refund. KENS 5 also contacted UT Health San Antonio leadership.
UT Health San Antonio first sent a general statement, so we emailed about the refund again.
Then, just 24 hours after the first email, The UT Health San Antonio Director of Public Relations sent us a second response which stated, “A full refund has been processed for Ms. Obregon.”
Five days later Obregon received an update.
“They called me and said ‘the checks are here in the office,” Obregon said. “I was shocked… though I’m not complaining.”
UT Health provided Obregon a full refund of more than $6,800. Obregon is now working with another dentist to find the best solution so she can eat, and sing without a mask, once again.
“To know that the end of the tunnel is approaching, it’s very exciting. It’s life changing… hopefully,” Obregon said.
The singer told KENS 5 she will be glad to return to the stage without a mask and she’s still deciding where she wants to eat first once she has teeth once again. Chinese cuisine and a steak dinner are both at the top of her list.
Obregon is also glad she called KENS 5.
“I can’t thank you enough for being kind and helping us with this,” Obregon said. “KENS 5… if they hadn’t gotten involved I would still be sitting here waiting.”
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