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I had two dentists tell me I needed a deep cleaning without them ever putting a periodontal probe in my mouth. I got a third opinion and the dentist said I definitely did not need a deep cleaning. At least around here, it's the corporate clinics that hard sell dental services that you don't need.
Aspen is the most notorious of the bunch. I'd never trust my teeth to them. That said...
my spouse, who has full upper and lower snap-in dentures, had one "tooth" come loose and fall out of his lower denture. He went to Aspen, and for $60 they fixed it. They really couldn't scam him with anything, since any scams involve actual teeth, or a recommendation for dentures - which he already has.
Just to balance things out, I'm very happy with Aspen Dental, having previously gone to a local office that was strange, including insisting that I get work done before a hygiene appointment. Huh? I never could get that appointment.
Aspen Dental in my area has been great. I received extensive x-rays, a full hygiene evaluation and a full dental evaluation from the dentist. Everyone was pleasant and thorough. Because I hadn't been able to get a hygiene appt from my other office I knew that I needed a deep cleaning. Even though they only have 2 hygienists, I got in right away. Fancy that. That means my insurance does pay for hygiene work. (I'm assuming that the other office doesn't get paid well for their hygiene appointments and it makes me wonder why. Otherwise, why would they keep denying me an appointment?)
I need a bridge for work I had done 16 years ago, where a big gap was left and no dentist to this day has been willing to close the gap so that I don't get a huge piece of food in there. Now I need a bridge in that area. Wouldn't have needed it if the original work had been done correctly or if another dentist(s) had been willing to fix it. Fortunately, Aspen Dental is doing it for a very fair price, and timely too. Had the hygiene appointment 2 days ago and I'm very satisfied.
It's understand that not every office operates in the same efficient way, but I'm happy that mine does.
Some dentists may tell patients they need it when they don't; that's a scam.
I went to a dentist that offered free xrays. He said I needed deep cleaning on four teeth, at $450 each. He couldn't see anything wrong with the tooth that hurt.
So I tried a different dentist. She said I didn't need any deep cleaning, and found the problem with the sore tooth. She charged for xrays, though, but not $1800.
Just because some dentists are scammers doesn't mean they all are. Clearly some of these examples are indicative of greedy scammers trying to pull a fast one. My teeth needed deep cleaning recently. It was done for a total of $155 (my cost after ins). After my work is done (a root canal and a bridge on a tooth that was poorly done 16 years ago), my total will come to $900 after my insurance pays 80%. That's for a consult, the most extensive x-rays I've ever had done, a deep cleaning, a root canal and a bridge.
The reason I stated all that above is because I don't understand why more people don't purchase individual dental insurance. Mine started out at $34/mo. 7 years ago. It's gone up to $44/mo. after 7 years (increasing a few dollars a year). I am a senior on a low fixed income. Don't tell me $44/mo. is unaffordable. People fritter away $44/mo. all the time on frivolous b.s.
I just recently read this thread because my 35 year old daughter was told she needed deep cleaning. She went in for a teeth cleaning and was told she needed a deep cleaning instead. They said she could go to lunch and have it done later in the day. She never saw a dentist. She told them she had two small children with a babysitter and would have have to schedule a different day. She was told that several of her teeth are 4s.
Neither her mother nor I have ever been told we needed a deep cleaning. We get a regular cleaning twice a year.
I just recently read this thread because my 35 year old daughter was told she needed deep cleaning. She went in for a teeth cleaning and was told she needed a deep cleaning instead. They said she could go to lunch and have it done later in the day. She never saw a dentist. She told them she had two small children with a babysitter and would have have to schedule a different day. She was told that several of her teeth are 4s.
Neither her mother nor I have ever been told we needed a deep cleaning. We get a regular cleaning twice a year.
Have her get the x-rays (they have to give them to her) and have her schedule a consult with a few other dentists to get their opinion. Try to avoid dentists that are part of a corporation like Western Dental, Aspen, or Modern they have office managers who are trained to add on expensive services that are rarely if ever needed, they can turn a $100 cleaning into $1500 of major work that wasn't needed and when you tell them you can't pay for it they will finance it for you
People usually only read the original post instead of reading a little further down.
I am having nothing but a good experience with Aspen Dental after going to a local dentist where I kept getting the runaround for over a year about getting a simple hygiene appointment.
Scheduling appts with more than one dentist is costly unless there is a reason to get a second or third opinion. Insurance likely wouldn't pay, and paying out of pocket for a consultation is expensive.
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