My Dentist Tried To Rip Me off! (Westminster, Thornton: prices, office)

[dubthang]

At least you didn't wake up with your pants unbuttoned.

[Kattia]

I am from Costa Rica and there is a lot of Medical Tourism plus you can have a little vacation so think about it

[Crina]

I had only bad experience with dentist in Denver. Could somebody please, recommend me a good one?

[2bindenver]

where are you?

[Crina]

I am living in DTC. Did you know a great dentist in the area or in South Denver?

[spider123]

Hi there,

I took two years before I took the leap to go to the Philippines from Australia to have some crowns done. I was going to get 10 on the top done and the price in Australia was exhorbitant beyond belief. I knew quite a few people who had been up there to get their teeth done - however I was never happy with what I saw - even though the owners of the 'new teeth' were happy. I think anyone going to the Phils to dentistry should not go on price alone. They should also do as much research as possible - on the types of crowns - that are best for you. ( I settled on emax ). When you ask for a quote from a dentist they will normally quote you on PFMs (porcelain to metal) as they are the cheapest type of crown - however in saying that , they are also extremely strong. After two days of treatment - I quickly noticed the 'attention to detail' with the work the dentist did. In fact I was amazed. After two days I decided that the opportunity to have all my teeth replaced was an opportunity not to be missed. Ok, it cost me more money - however, the more I spent - the more I saved. I was going broke saving money !! Not really - but the

finished job was way beyond what I would expect. As to what I saved ? Well, I got a quote here before I went on the initial work - and then on return to Australia I rang another dentist who specialises with crowns in Melbourne. (for a start he had never heard of emax crowns (they are quite a recent relevation !) - and the difference in what I paid to the quote from the dentist in Melbourne was around $50,000 Australian Dollars. That is amazing !

All I can say is to anyone going to the PHils for dentistry - take you time to research EVERYTHING - and don't just try to get it all done in 8 days. You need, I think at least 2 weeks, as your teeth need to 'settle' a little...and any problems (I had none) can be ironed out.

things like where to stay - what to do on days off - what to be careful of - security - money changing - how to pay the dentist etc. I took plenty of notes on a daily basis and am happy to pass on any information to you FOC !

I guess one of the factors for many people going to the Philippines for Medical/dental treatment is one of 'fear of the unknown" - usually put out there by our local dentists or doctors. I can say that my decision to get all my teeth done was also based on the poor dentistry I had received here in Australia. In fact I can say that I was embarrassed with it once I saw it with the probe camera my dentist used. Mind you,

they were professional enough not to even mention it - but I could see it myself.

I have no qualms of ever going back to my dentist - and recommend to anyone, providing they do their research to go ahead - I have made some great new friends up there as well.

the S

One of the things I discovered when researching this project was the outlandish

profits the dentists are making in western countries. I was disgusted in the

information I unearthed - (willing to share !).

I also came across a newspaper article a week or so ago - regarding alisted company here in Australia called 1300smiles. Let me quote just one paragraph

"Shareholders can expect a bonus after the company announced its half year fully franked dividend would be up 35 percent a share to 5.4c and up 35 percent from December 2007. The MD said that the groups net profit after tax was growing faster than revenus meaining the group had reached critical mass in terms of growth and profitability. "We now operate on a scale that enables us to increase the net profit after tax faster than revenue," he said.

This must be about the only company to have its share price go up by 35 percent while every other share on the market has crashed to never before seen LOWS.

Crooked teeth, rotten teeth, missing teeth and just plain ugly teeth can really make a persons life a misery. I know some people who are afraid to smile. No ones deserves that.

Dentisty is about health as well as cosmetics. My God, even I was suffering from depression when I looked at my old teeth in the mirror !!! But thanks to my wonderful, caring and affordable dentist in Manila those days are behind me.

Any queries , happy to answer !

The S

PS: I met an American lady ( a nurse ) while I was at the Dentists in Manila. She was about 28 and all of her top teeth had gone rotten. Her dentist in the States told her that it would cost ...wait for it ...$59,000 to have them completely replaced. That is USD !! She told me he offered her finance.... and at $900 a month it was more than her mortgage !! She told me she saved up for six months .....SIX MONTHS and had enough to get the job done in Manila. I have her email address as I have had correspondence from her since I returned a few weeks ago. Maybe she will be willing to share her experience etc. As the USD has strengthed so much in the past 6 months - I am sure her cost would have been no more than about 15% or the quote in the STates ...... although I have not confirmed that - I am only going on what I got done.

[DentalStudent]

Originally Posted by denverian

Last root canal and crown I got cost me around $600, and that was WITH insurance. Dental work is a total rip off!

A woman I used to work with had cancer and went through all the treatment and is now cancer free, but she pointed out that getting cured of cancer was cheaper with insurance than a root canal is!

---

Dental work can be expensive but there are a few things that should be taken into consideration. 1) Dentists normally have 75-80% overhead. So, for $1,200 of work he makes $240-$300. 2) On average dental students graduate with $200,000 in debt. some much more than that. There are some private schools that cost over 100k per year (for 4 years). 3) During the 8-10 years your dentist was getting his education he made little to no income. 4) The average person spends $400/yr at the dentist. That's $33/month. Probably less than what most people spend at Starbucks (and I bet your dental work improves your quality of life more than Starbucks does). 5) An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Going to your dentist for routine checkups, getting your teeth professionally cleaned at least 2x a year, and good at home oral hygiene can save you from a lot of costly dental procedures.

[blackmet]

Originally Posted by DenverLawGal

no no no, this is outrageous. And did you have insurance pyrotec? I'm telling you guys, Comfort Dental is running a scam. My husband saw someone at Perfect Teeth and paid half the cost quoted at Comfort Dental. Now why is that???

Yes, I know this was from 4 years ago. But I had the exact opposite experience.

Went to get some (admittedly sorely needed) work done at the beginning of the year under my new dental plan. This plan is cheap, and covers a lot, but it only works at a few places -- mostly Comfort Dental's and Perfect Teeth's. Went to the Perfect Teeth in Thornton. Was told I needed three root canals, a mouth guard to wear at night, and other sundry crap, PLUS recommended me to see an orthodontist to get my teeth straightened (admittedly, they're not perfect...but my family couldn't afford braces when I was a teen and I feel like at 31 I'm just too old to walk around with metal in my mouth). Quoted $3200.00 -- AFTER INSURANCE PICKED UP $6600.00. They even tried to start one of the root canals while I was in the chair for the original checkup, which REALLY set off alarms.

I pretty much stopped them there, called up the insurance company, told them that I wanted a second opinion, and they gave me a code that I took to a Comfort Dental in Westminster. They told me I needed one cap, one filling, and a cleaning, quoted $600.00, and did the work well.

[beavanrdh]

I have been a dental hygienist for 15 years. I have to agree with DentalStudent’s post. First of all, please put a few things in perspective. One of the most common things patient’s mention to me is, “I couldn’t do this job and put my hands in someone's mouth”. Realize your dental professionals are taking risk by “working” in a patient’s mouth. They are taking risks and exposing themselves to bodily fluids, including blood, on a daily basis.



The education dentists and dental personnel receives is not free. They not only invest monetarily but they also invest a great deal of time in their education. You are paying an educated dental professional to provide EDUCATED care.

The cost of operating a dental office is staggering. As mentioned in the previous post, dentists do not receive the entire fee. Also the dental insurance that you “pay” for does not pay the dentist as you think. Insurance, regardless of type, is unfair to medical and dental professionals. It has caused the cost of medical and dental care to actually rise. For example, let’s say you pay a dental insurance company $100. What they pay the dentist can be as low as 20% and rarely above 50% of that fee that they charge you ….yet the dentist DOES THE WORK! Insurance companies are absurd and a modern day mob! The insurance is making money from YOU and the dentist. If you research the profits that insurance companies make, it will be much more than any dental or heath care facility!



Lastly, you get what you pay for! Every dentist or hygienist does not have the same skill set. Do your home work, research or ask friends for a referral. Some dentists charge more money because they are BETTER at what they do. Understand that if you go with the “cheapest” dentist, you may not get the same skill set as a dentist who charges more. That is REALITY. An analogy would be a hairstylist. All hairstylist take the same exam to get licensed (just as dentist), but they all cannot cut or color hair with the same skills.



Yes, dental work is expensive but EVERYTHING cost more today. Value your oral health. If you are not happy with an estimate or you feel a lack of trust with an office, get a second opinion. One thing I stress to my patients, if you want cavities, gum disease and to PAY more of your money to the dentist to treat these conditions……..don’t floss! Do your preventative homework (floss as well as see your dentist and hygienist at least every 6months) and you will reduce your dental cost SIGNIFICANTLY over your lifetime!!!!

[contiempo]

Dentistry, like some other fields of "medicine", is a huge and often ignored scam. Dentists face fierce competition in most metro areas. Where I live there is a dentist in nearly every strip mall. There is an oversupply of dentists similar to lawyers but not as bad - shop around and you can do better.

The same goes for other medical services that are not emergency - shop around and save just like you for a TV, house painter, car, etc.

BTW, I have no doubt that Comfort will take you for a ride, but I actually have had good luck with them.