Beware Of Corporate Dental Offices

2nd Thessalonians 3:2, “And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.”

I learned something this week that I want to pass on to my blog readers. I wrote the other day about my toothache on my upper left back molar tooth. It needs a root canal and a crown. I had seen three dentists. The first dentist gave me three referrals to oral surgeons to extract the tooth. I wanted a second opinion. The second dentist at Comfort Dental Care said she thought I could get a root canal and crown, but they quoted me $2,279 just for the root canal. I paid $100 to each dentist just to examine one tooth. Ouch!

So I went to a third dentist, this time Aspen Dental Care, which is a corporate dental business with offices nationwide. Here is the meaning of "Corporate Dental":

The Academy of General Dentistry has defined corporate dentistry as: “A variety of practice modalities in which management services, at a minimum, are provided in a manner that is organizationally distinct from the scope of activities performed by a dentist within only his or her practice.” SOURCE

The second dentist that I had consulted with, Comfort Dental Care in Pensacola, is also a corporate dental business. They have offices throughout Florida. I found out that corporate dentistry offices charge MUCH more! They often itemize your billing, charging you for every little thing, taking advantage of you financially. Please stay away from chain dentistry businesses!!!

Aspen Dental Care advertises FREE initial x-rays and a comprehensive examination of all your teeth. They did that for me, free as they advertised. But then they took advantage of me financially. They handed me an estimate for $3,344 for what they wanted to do. I took the quote home and examined it closer. They charged me $135 for an Oral B Genius electric toothbrush. I had told Aspen Dental's dentist and oral hygienist that I just bought an Oral B Braun electric toothbrush last week from Wal-Mart for only $15. They knew I don't have any dental insurance, yet they gouged me financially for a $135 toothbrush. That bothered me.

For the crown they quoted me $1,724. They said I really need a "deep cleaning," which all toll including the $135 electric toothbrush came out to $1,500. Whoa! They added $35 for tube of gum numbing paste. They added another $36 for a tube of Antimicrobial paste. I felt sick.

So in frustration I called an made an appointment with a fourth dentist, but this time a private owner dentist, not a corporate dental agency with a chain of offices. The new dentist was a reasonable guy, super kind, and told me that I don't need deep cleaning. I told him that I had a deep cleaning done 1 18 months ago on Guam. he said that people only need a deep cleaning once about very 10-years, if they get regular 6 month cleanings in between. I had a general cleaning in June of 2021. So that saved me $1,500 right there!

But then the new dentist shocked me, when he quoted only $980 to do a crown. I'm getting my root canal done elsewhere, at a special place that does nothing but root canals, for $1,591. So instead of paying Aspen Dental Care $3,344, I'm only paying $1,152 now. Praise the Lord! So please be cautious about which dentist you choose. Avoid chain dentists! These are called "Corporate Dental" offices. They will rip you off!!!

Also, since I take prescription OxyContin and Oxycodone, it causes dry mouth, which the dentist said will erode my teeth over time. Thankfully, CVS and Walgreen's sell a gel for dry mouth, which I am going to try. One day at a time. Lord willing I'd like to keep my teeth as I grow older. Daily brushing after each meal, and flossing once a day are very important for keeping our teeth healthy. Plaque build-up around teeth literally eats away the bone under our gums. Bacteria growing on our teeth causes the gums to recede. This causes gaps. Anything 4mm or higher is bad. That is how a dentist knows when to do a deep cleaning, when the gap between our teeth and gums exceeds 4mm.

My humble advice is to find a private owner and call a few places to get various quotes. I was able to get 100% of my money back from Aspen Dental Care, since they hadn't done any of the procedures yet. Now I'm trying to get my $1,000 deposit back from Comfort Dental Care. I cancelled my appointment 7 days in advance, but so far they haven't returned my phone calls about my refund. I'm sure they will refund my $1,000, since they haven't done any procedures. If not I will call VISA and cancel the charges.

In fairness to Aspen Dental Care, they were all very friendly, and they didn't ask any questions when I cancelled and asked for my money back. All went well. I just didn't like that they tried to milk me like a money cow, for a $1,500 deep cleaning that I don't really need.

I also don't like that they charged me $135 for a fancy electric toothbrush, knowing that I don't have any dental insurance. In hindsight, both Comfort Dental Care and Aspen Dental Care took advantage of me financially. I'm glad that I caught it in time to stop them. Please don't allow yourself to become a victim, stay away from chain dentistry business!

And for major work, always seek a second opinion, especially if they want to extract your teeth. If you can make it down to Mexico, dentists there only charge 25% of what you'll pay in the United States. Residents in Yuma, Arizona head down to Mexico for great inexpensive dental care. If I lived close to the border, I'd definitely go down to Mexico. Just ask around and do some homework before you go, because there are bad dentists there to, just like here in the United States. I care about you dear reader. I hope this has been helpful information.