Feeling a bit scammed by new dentist - Page 3

godi · ‎03-09-2010

My dentist retired also, DH and I went to a new dentist office and we were told they would not clean our teeth till we were evaluated. Ok, so an hour later we get an estimate 2000. For me and 1000. for DH. They would not clean our teeth until we agreed to do the work. Really? We left and never went back. We got lucky and found a wonderful Dentist we are quite happy with. So please run don't walk to another dentist.

Alison Wonderland · ‎02-05-2018

@madzonie wrote:
<snip>

I'm so uncomfortable with this whole episode and think perhaps I should get a second opinion.

You 100% need a second opinion.

25 years ago, my dentist retired and I had no dental insurance and a toothache. I went to a new dentist (referred by 1-800-dentist, if you remember that) and he told me I had NINE cavities that needed attention and maybe needed a root canal. That was shocking because I'd had one cavity my whole life prior to that. He didn't even identify the tooth that brought me in because of the pain as a tooth with a cavity. It was going to cost a fortune, so I ran out and got dental insurance.

The new dentist did not take the insurance I got - thank goodness! I went to a different dentist and he told me I had one cavity - and it was the tooth that hurt. He filled that cavity and I went for another 5 years without any issues. To this day I have not accumulated the mysterious 9 cavities that other dentist said I had. I reported him, but don't know what became of it.

Anonymous032819 · ‎03-29-2019

I don't trust dentists anymore.

Over twenty years ago, when I was a young adult, I was going to one dentist, and she kept insisting that I needed braces.

Now are my teeth perfectly straight?

No, they are not, but I have no problems with my teeth. I can eat perfectly fine.

Finally, at one visit, when she brought up the subject of braces again, I finally said to her, "Are you going to pay for them?"

Naturally, she said, "No."

I then told her, "Then I am not getting them."

Fast forward to a few years ago.

I went to my dentist (different from the one before), saying that I was tasting metal in my mouth.

At the time I had amalgam (silver colored) fillings.

Amalgam is NOT silver. They just happent to be silver in COLOR ONLY.

She told me that the fillings had to be replaced.

Dumb, stupid me, believed her.

So after much discomfort of having the fillings replaced, did it dawn on me that she had upsold me on a procedure that I didn't need.

Maybe I needed one filling replaced, or maybe I didn't.

But I felt scammed.

Now, I don't trust ANY dentist, which is why I haven't been to one in years.

All I want is JUST my annual cleaning, and THAT'S IT!

It seems that it's getting harder and harder to find any dentist that won't try to sell you a bill of goods.

The Sky looks different when you have someone you love up there.

Shelbelle · ‎03-09-2010

Do NOT go back, plain and simple!!

Desertdi · ‎03-13-2010

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Desertdi. My dentist who retired, moved to Phoenix.

@Kachina624 He's gonna be sorry.......the SMOG is getting worse every year............(!)

♥Surface of the Sun♥

Peaches McPhee · ‎04-19-2010

Same thing happened to me. I had moved and went to a new dentist. He recommended all sorts of products and procedures, which my prior dentist never had. I stopped going to this dentist. My current dentist never recommended anything of the kind either.

-- pro-aging --

Rochester, New York

Drythe · ‎07-09-2011

@madzonie

I have always seen a dentist every 6 months, my teeth and gums are healthy, I have only 2 fillings. My dentist of about 10 years took on a partner and split his practice with the new partner. I was assigned to the new partner.

So, as I had been driving 50 miles to his office I decided to find a new dentist in my home town, literally picked her from the phone book.

First time with the new dentist I was SHOCKED😳 This tooth was was wrong, that tooth needed Work, something was wrong with my gums, etc. AND, I had a tooth that was badly cracked and needed a crown RIGHT NOW. Stupidly I let her drill and put a temporary crown on, she said I had to come in and get the permanent crown after two weeks. It hurt, day, after day, after day. Thankfully I called my original dentist who told me to bring in her x-rays and he looked at my mouth. After comparing his x-rays with hers, and my mouth, he said he couldn’t not see anything wrong with the tooth. But, Apparently she had hurt the nerve while drilling. He agreed to ‘take me back as his patient’ I wore the totally unnecessary temporary crown for six months, the pain subsided, and of course I had to have the permanent crown.

Lesson learned. When he retired, I checked with friends before selecting my new dentist. One who was NOT trying to finance a New YATCH from my mouth.

Good luck to you.

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

Sounds like he's trying recoup what he paid to buy the practice.

esmerelda · ‎03-10-2010

@Anonymous032819 wrote:
I don't trust dentists anymore.

Over twenty years ago, when I was a young adult, I was going to one dentist, and she kept insisting that I needed braces.

Now are my teeth perfectly straight?

No, they are not, but I have no problems with my teeth. I can eat perfectly fine.

Finally, at one visit, when she brought up the subject of braces again, I finally said to her, "Are you going to pay for them?"

Naturally, she said, "No."

I then told her, "Then I am not getting them."

Fast forward to a few years ago.

I went to my dentist (different from the one before), saying that I was tasting metal in my mouth.

At the time I had amalgam (silver colored) fillings.

Amalgam is NOT silver. They just happent to be silver in COLOR ONLY.

She told me that the fillings had to be replaced.

Dumb, stupid me, believed her.

So after much discomfort of having the fillings replaced, did it dawn on me that she had upsold me on a procedure that I didn't need.

Maybe I needed one filling replaced, or maybe I didn't.

But I felt scammed.

Now, I don't trust ANY dentist, which is why I haven't been to one in years.

All I want is JUST my annual cleaning, and THAT'S IT!

It seems that it's getting harder and harder to find any dentist that won't try to sell you a bill of goods.