Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Curtis Coy lost his dentures during a hospital visit.
- The University of Utah Hospital initially denied full responsibility but later agreed to replace them.
- KSL Investigators could not find any rules that make a hospital responsible for someone's items if they go missing while they are in the hospital.
MIDVALE — Curtis Coy has had to get creative at mealtimes. After all, it's hard to eat without teeth.
"Well, the bright spot is I've been losing some weight," he joked.
The less-bright spot is Coy has been without his dentures since mid-October. That's when he went to the emergency room at the University of Utah Hospital with dizziness.
"The nurse took my teeth and was going to put them away so that they aren't in the way," he said.
He said hospital staff put all his other personal belongings into a big bag. He said he didn't realize his dentures were gone until he got home.
"Going through the big bag they gave me with all my stuff in it, and my teeth weren't in there," Coy said.
He called the hospital, which searched for the teeth to no avail. So, he asked about getting them replaced.
"He (the University of Utah Hospital representative) said, 'Well, the university is not going to accept blame of them being lost,'" Coy said. "But they will be kind enough and pay for half."
Coy said the price tag for a new set of dentures surpasses $4,000.
"I gotta figure out a way to come up with $2,200 to pay for the teeth," he said. "I don't think it's right. I think they should take responsibility."
Frustrated, Coy asked me to investigate.
As I began looking into it, I found, interestingly, Coy is far from alone. According to a report from the British Dental Journal, "Denture loss is a common problem when people are admitted to hospital." It happens a lot during "patient transfers, when dentures are left on meal trays and when bed linen is changed." And when lost, they "are rarely ever found again."
I reached out to the University of Utah Hospital on Coy's behalf. A spokesperson declined an on-camera interview but, by phone, said they have good news for him. They are indeed taking responsibility for his lost teeth. And the spokesperson was insistent that they were working toward this resolution before getting a call from me.
Coy now has new teeth. After a lean Thanksgiving and Christmas, he looks forward to gorging in the new year.
"I love it," he said when asked what it's like having dentures back. "I just hope I don't gain the weight back."
We could not find any rules that make a hospital responsible for your stuff if it goes missing while you're in the hospital. In this case, the University of Utah Hospital stepped up. But you should take Coy's experience as a warning for the next time you're a hospital patient to, A) leave your valuables at home, and B) if your teeth are removable – keep tabs on them.
