Is my dentist a crook?

I had never had a cavitiy in my life, and went a couple of years with no visit. Then went to the dentist on my husband's insurance and was told that I needed a deep-perio cleaning and had 6 cavities! It cost a total of $1,200!(I had to go with white composite filligs because I was pregnant) I just went in for my "perio-maintenence" which is basically a cleaning and they check your gum line recession. Then I was told that I had 3 more cavities-which were NOT pointed out on my x-rays, she just pointed to them in my mouth. She told me I also needed to have some tooth-brush abrasion filled in(which is true, I can at least see that).


During this entire consultation with the dentist she had the finance lady standing right beside her like a vulture, adding commentary and confirming what she said. Then I was whisked away by this finance lady to tally up what it would cost for all of this-$1,200 more!!!!


I felt like I do at the auto-repair shop! Is this ordinary for a dentist?

Is my dentist a crook?
It is always your right to have a second and sometimes third opinion. The periodontal maintenance visits are par for the course when you have periodontal disease. As such it is to your benefit to see the dentist four times per year (or hygienist) to keep this condition from getting worse. We do this in our office and it is not always covered by insurance. Most patients gladly pay out of pocket for this service because they don't want to lose their teeth to perio disease. You can also get cavities very quickly esp. if you have not been seeing a dentist reg. to monitor your teeth and gums. Sometimes dentists will "watch" a tooth that looks like it may have an area that is weak in the enamel. They will do this because the cavity or weakened area may not be bad enough to fill yet, however if it gets worse, eg. through the enamel layer, then they will fill it before it gets worse. If an area of decay goes through the enamel layer, then it can spread very quickly because the layer under the enamel is softer, which means the decay can spread very quickly into the pulp chamber which holds the nerve of the tooth, causing even more problems, such as an abscess, tooth ache, and ultm. a root canal to save the tooth, or an extraction. Many dental offices have a financial coordinator. It is up to them to let you know the cost of your treatment, what your insurance will and won't pay for, and how you plan to pay for your treatment. If you felt rushed, or like you weren't getting good service then by all means find another dentist that you are comfortable with. This dental office sounds like it was/is on the up and up about your treatment needed, however it does sound like you were rushed in and out. I worked at an office like this and hated it. It did indeed feel like we were rushing people in and out, and I left after two years because I felt like I could not give my patients the best care and compassion because we were so rushed. Not all dental offices are like this, so find one that you don't feel like you are being pushed out the door.
Reply:find a new dentist
Reply:I had my dad's union plan dentist do something similar to me, so the next time, I went to a plain jane dentist with no fancy office, just an honnest guy, he told me I had no cavities and no wisdom teeth emergency, cleaned my teeth and I walked out for $95.00. This dentist was an honest Catholic who had acceptable, equipment that was not the newest, he knew his trade. Ask around for an honest dentist.
Reply:It is very common for people to have many cavities without knowing. It is also common to find cavities that you missed in the initial exam while you're getting a cleaning. Overall, if you don't feel comfortable with your dentist or you're having second thoughts it might be good to get a second opinion. If you go to another dentist and he agree's with your last dentist then you can feel at ease knowing you weren't being ripped off.
Reply:It's gonna be like pulling teeth to get your money back. ;-)
Reply:No I have never had a dentist have the finance lady right there. Get a second opinion from another dentist.
Reply:yeah find a new dentist and report it to ur insurance cause the company with ask for the proof and they have to provide it.I had the same thing happen to me and the dentist was doing this to allot of people to make up the lost's in other areas.My insurance for free paid for me to see someone else and get anything I need if I needed anything.I did not have any cavity after all I just need my wisdom teeth out and i was fine.
Reply:yes they are!!! and almost all of them are like that... then they will be asking you to come twice a year making it sounds like you'll gonna lose all your teeth if you didn't go for a check up. Then they will make you wait for an hour or so just to get your teeth check for less than 10 minutes. The heck with these dentist. I stopped seeing a dentist 6 years ago and my teeth are still fine; no cavities, no tartar, nothing at all.
Reply:I had this EXACT same thing happen to me...I had to pick a new dentist b/c I moved to a new state. It was time for my 6mo. checkup (I saw my old dentist every 6mo for cleanings, etc). This new guy told me that I had 5 cavities and needed a root canal done, which he wanted to do right there on the spot! I said no. He finished the exam by sending the slick, fast talking financial person into the exam room (never had that happen before), who promptly gave me an invoice for THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS to have the work done!!!


I started laughing, I thought it was a joke, and then got into a fight with this guy- I have great dental insurance and have never had to pay more than $100 for ALL the work I've ever had done. I left the office and called my dental insurance co. They told me to not go back and gave me a list of other dentists...when I read the list of procedures on the invoice to the ins. co, they told me the dentist was basically screwing me over- charging me $50 for each novicane shot per filling and billing the ins co $80 when it is 100% paid for by insurance. It was inconvenient to go find someone else but it was worth saving 3 grand, turns out I had one cavity. There are honest dentists out there, I guess you just have to seek them out!!!!!
Reply:Get a second opinion. You shouldn't be pressured into things.
Reply:Dentistry is expensive. Perio fpr quadants can be 300x4 which is 1200. The composite filling is your choice. Tell them to note they told you and do the cheaper amalgam. There is no real hard evidence of danger from amalagam. Composite does however hold a tooth that has a large cavity together. You can try to floss properly daily, rinse with a perio rinse, brush gently four times a day and use a tooth pick around your gums and inbetween your teeth to reduce inflamation. They will charge you again for another perio probing. Sometimes with pregnancy you get inflammation. Work hard at it by yourself, but if you had 5-6 mm pockets you must work hard it and continue to do so.
Reply:Wow, This is definitely weird....I would go to another dentist for a reference and see what he/she says.


Those prices definitely sound OUTRAGEOUS!


I hope you can get all this worked out.





Have a very Merry Christmas!
Reply:Ask another dentist to check you're teeth.

fitness shoes