A long time ago, when I worked crazy hours and it was nearly impossible to find time for things like doctor's appointments, I found a dentist in Burbank who had Saturday appointments. 
Perfect! Not that I like going to the dentist, but it's good to at least be able to go. I've been seeing this dentist now for about 8 years. I like her, but I have come to feel like she sort of oversells what she's doing. Or, as another friend who sees her put it, she tends to upsell. Often times, she ends up doing things that aren't covered by my insurance and I don't find out about it until I go to check out and owe a bunch of money. The last time I went in, she found a ridiculous amount of cavities and it sort of put me over the edge - especially since two were cavities she just filled last year. And my teeth feel fine! They tried to make an appointment with me when I was on my way out the door, but I told them I'd have to get back to them. She told me she wanted to do the fillings in three appointments. Three visits to the dentists!!
As I knew would happen, her receptionist began hounding me on the phone. I've been dodging her calls for weeks now. I stupidly answered my telephone at home today and it was them, trying to schedule the filling appointments again. I told her I had to get back to her. I want to change dentists. It's bad enough being scolded every time I go in for not taking good enough care of my teeth. I don't like being harassed on the phone as well.
Has anyone else ever had problems with over eager doctors?
Perfect! Not that I like going to the dentist, but it's good to at least be able to go. I've been seeing this dentist now for about 8 years. I like her, but I have come to feel like she sort of oversells what she's doing. Or, as another friend who sees her put it, she tends to upsell. Often times, she ends up doing things that aren't covered by my insurance and I don't find out about it until I go to check out and owe a bunch of money. The last time I went in, she found a ridiculous amount of cavities and it sort of put me over the edge - especially since two were cavities she just filled last year. And my teeth feel fine! They tried to make an appointment with me when I was on my way out the door, but I told them I'd have to get back to them. She told me she wanted to do the fillings in three appointments. Three visits to the dentists!!As I knew would happen, her receptionist began hounding me on the phone. I've been dodging her calls for weeks now. I stupidly answered my telephone at home today and it was them, trying to schedule the filling appointments again. I told her I had to get back to her. I want to change dentists. It's bad enough being scolded every time I go in for not taking good enough care of my teeth. I don't like being harassed on the phone as well.
Has anyone else ever had problems with over eager doctors?
posted by EditThis at 6:08 PM
7 Comments:
Yeah, I have had some awful experiences! One even told me I was lucky that I wouldn't be loosing any of my teeth!!!!!! She actually was so bad she had me in tears. Then when I wanted my file because I was going to another dentist they at first didn't want to give it to me, I had to remind them as nicely as I could that it was MY file!
I've never had any doctors' or dentists' ofc stalk me by phone, no.
"Oversell" is a nice word for it. There was a dental office my entire office used to go to-- the dentists and his male dental assistants were all very attractive and therefore we all scurried over like rabbits to a carrot garden. We all came back diagnosed with advanced periodontal disease, cavities galore, braces, etc. I think for a while we were all embarrassed at the unhealthy state of our teeth, because no one said anything... then one day, a girl who was newer to our office came back from her checkup (for which we'd so eagerly referred her to the hot dentists' office) in tears because they had told her that she would need veneers in the next year or two because her teeth were so bad, etc., and that her last dentist was a fool to tell her that her teeth were healthy. We all peered at her white, straight, healthy-looking grill and and then started comparing stories. All of us had had no less than $1000 worth of uninsurable work done by this office. Needless to say, we no longer go there.
I had that problem with a gum doctor - I forget what they are called. They started trying to get me to come in every 3 mos. for cleanings, and never did anything to treat my receding gums. They had a whole list of thousands of dollars of work they wanted to do, and actually told me they knew that "money was no object, but it was just a matter of finding the time." they'd make you pay up front, yet have the insurance payments go to them directly. the receptionist was always calling and once when I cancelled an appt 48 hours in advance they told me they'd be charging me if they couldn't fill it. I demanded hey send me the document that I had signed agreeing to such a charge. that put an end to that, but i quickly stopped going to this doctor.
Robert Riley said...
This year I had an incredible amount of dental work done. I now have upper and lower partials in my mouth to replace 14 teeth that had to come out.
Now when I go to have my teeth cleaned (which has to be done by the same periodontist that made the teeth) they try to sell me implants to the tune of 40K! They say things like, "those partials will not last forever you know" and "implants are like having your real teeth, they would not slide around like the partials do"...
After spending almost 10K to get this year, I can't even think of spending that kind of money.
I have been fortunate enough to find a dentist, orthodontist and periodontist that are all awesome and I enjoy going in to see them. I've had my share of work done, and aside from one time at the dentist, I have never had any pain or discomfort while in one of their chairs. Too bad you live so far away, or I would totally send you in their direction. But if you change your mind...
In the dental field it's all about the goal for the day, week, month, and year. When goals are not met, The dentist gets angry at the front office. So their jobs are on the line if they don't call patients. This field has changed. It's all about production. Of course we all want to make money. Some dentist by expensive equipment they really can't afford. Then it's the staffs job to try to maintain his over spending by harassing patients for treatment.
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