Know an honest Dentist? (Phoenix, Mesa: house, rent, income)

[healthcaresafety]

New equipment costs money - the office decor is relatively cheap. That fancy fish tank will add about $.02 to your bill - you can afford it. The other option is a dark and old office with worn carpet and fading paint. You want a doctor who takes that kind of pride in his work evnironment? Find doctors with experience and longevity in his location. If you go to a Southwest Dentist or other corporate entity with multiple offices it is likely your dentist will not be there in 2 years - they come and go to better opportunities. They also employ the new doctors right out of school who will work cheap .... often with little experience. If you have a problem later is is likely that dentist will not be there to correct it. Whether the corporation will correct a past doctor's work is in question. I'm in health care field and see a lot of dentists. For southeast valley - Gregg Jepson on Elliot; far east valley - Richard Baker on Power RD; for Scottsdale Richard Alverson - Shea and Hayden; for North Valley Howard Levinson - Happy Valley & I-17; for N/W, Richard Fefer - Sun City West; west valley - Mike Warren - Wigwam RD in Litchfield.

All of these dentists are honest, long term in their locations, credible, and expereinced. Dentistry costs money, If you want it super cheap (in every way) you can go to Mexico. 1/3 the price - but no recourse if it fails.

[azkylady2]

Originally Posted by healthcaresafety

New equipment costs money - the office decor is relatively cheap. That fancy fish tank will add about $.02 to your bill - you can afford it. The other option is a dark and old office with worn carpet and fading paint. You want a doctor who takes that kind of pride in his work evnironment? Find doctors with experience and longevity in his location. If you go to a Southwest Dentist or other corporate entity with multiple offices it is likely your dentist will not be there in 2 years - they come and go to better opportunities. They also employ the new doctors right out of school who will work cheap .... often with little experience. If you have a problem later is is likely that dentist will not be there to correct it. Whether the corporation will correct a past doctor's work is in question. I'm in health care field and see a lot of dentists. For southeast valley - Gregg Jepson on Elliot; far east valley - Richard Baker on Power RD; for Scottsdale Richard Alverson - Shea and Hayden; for North Valley Howard Levinson - Happy Valley & I-17; for N/W, Richard Fefer - Sun City West; west valley - Mike Warren - Wigwam RD in Litchfield.

All of these dentists are honest, long term in their locations, credible, and expereinced. Dentistry costs money, If you want it super cheap (in every way) you can go to Mexico. 1/3 the price - but no recourse if it fails.

who said they wanted super cheap dental care? I think we mean resonable priced care and not a hard sell for work we really do not need. Dental work in Mexico? Americans shouldn't have to even consider that, the fact that some do says much about our system of care here. enough said!

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by azkylady2

who said they wanted super cheap dental care? I think we mean resonable priced care and not a hard sell for work we really do not need. Dental work in Mexico? Americans shouldn't have to even consider that, the fact that some do says much about our system of care here. enough said!

Agreed. And I thought the OP, etc. were looking for honest Dentists in their area, not cheap dental work.

[j760]

Originally Posted by healthcaresafety

New equipment costs money - the office decor is relatively cheap. That fancy fish tank will add about $.02 to your bill - you can afford it.

I'm sure he can afford the two cents also, but two cents is still money, and maybe the op doesn't want any of his money going towards a fish tank he doesn't even own.

[sheena]

I've always had Dental Insurance but now I don't. Can someone tell me an avg price for a cleaning.

[Rick Lee]

Can anyone recommend a good dentist near Carefree Hwy. and I-17? I see them everywhere here, but have no idea which one to choose and I'm due for a cleaning.

[healthcaresafety]

Check out Levinson Dental @ Happy Valley & I-17 (near Starbucks). Levinson Dental Ageless Smiles. Nice dentist. Beware of new patient come-ons like free cleaning, or super discounts. A cleaning should take between 45 minutes and 1 hour, depending on your mouth. If you get a cleaning for 20 minutes - it was just to get you into the office. Additionally - if your hygiene is decent and you don't have gum disease don't fall for the "need" for scaling @ several hundred dollars. A cleaning should run between $75 and $110 - depending on your insurance. You generally get what you pay for and these new patient incentives make the doctor lose money if they do decent work. How long can someone do this? Generally they are cutting services and then 'finding' lots of work to make up for the discounts. You need a doc who is offering a decent service at a reasonable fee, with a nice staff, preferably with newer equipment to keep up with technology. Good luck.

[azresident]

I won't go to anyone else but Robert Critchfield, DDS in Glendale (59th ave and Union Hills). He and his office staff are the BEST. I have been a patient of his for over 20 years and will not give him up. He makes sure you do not feel any pain and their office staff is friendly and well organized.

[LivingTheSecret]

Absolutely love Dr. Mitchell Cooper at Gentle Dental in North Scottsdale. My 6 year old fell asleep while getting a tooth drilled with no anesthetic. Amazing. Our whole family loves him.

[thegirlinaz]

Originally Posted by cxray

I've had a lot of bad luck with dentists in the valley. I had a great dentist who left the valley to pursue a further education. I haven't found a great dentist since. I take care of my teeth and Ive never had a cavity or any gingival problem.s However when I saw another dentist, he claimed I had 8 cavities. Another dentist claimed I needed a deep cleaning and that I had deep pockets despite the previous two dentists saying I had no deep pockets and that my gums were fine.

It seems like a lot of the dentists in the valley are all about money and encourage procedures when none are needed. A lot of them have glamorous offices with elaborate fish tanks that cost in the thousands. It seems like a racket much like going to a shady auto mechanic.

Do any of you know a dentist who is honest and isn't one of those who demands that you have work done or whitening. I'm sick of the salesy and dishonest dentists here.

I have had terrible luck too. My entire life I have had only like two cavaties. I went to a dentist here in Mesa and he claimed I had 14!! So I went from zero to 14 in one year. Anyways, I had a second opinion elsewhere and he said I only had a couple. I have tried two dentists here and hated them both...