Wow, I just went to a new dentist. What would you do?

Question

I was seeing a dentist & had a bad feeling about him. It felt like I was in a used car dealership. I was getting the "Do this today & only today & save $100" talk. I was told I needed Peridontal Scaling $1080, had 3 cavities & needed 2 crowns. I did the initial exam & xrays which cost $200 & I also did the Peridontal Scaling because he told me I had early stages of gum disease. I was scared so I did it. I was getting ready to get the cavities filled & could not call him. I disliked him that much. So, I found a new dentist. I just got back from my appt. He did x-rays, a thorough exam of each tooth & even pictures. I have 1 cavity he said. Nothing else. He said everything is in good shape. Why would one dentist tell me I have 3 cavities & need 2 crowns & another say everything is great besides needed a single filling. Would you call the other dentist? or Better Business Bureau? or get a 3rd opinion? I am confused.

Thank You all for your responses. So helpful & I had no idea about reporting it. I was a self-pay :( I just found a site called ratemds.com & the 1st dentist I saw is rated a 1 (worst) while the one I saw today is rated a 5 (best). I guess that in itself says something. I am pissed I have given the 1st dentist $1,300 already though. Truely a mistake I will learn from.

Answer 1

Let me be upfront-I am a dentist. I'm appalled when I hear stories like yours because a small percentage of practitioners cause a large majority of the general public to distrust and disrespect my profession. Not all of us are money-hungry jerks. I would suggest not going to the ADA but rather to the state dental board with your complaint--do it today. If his diagnosis was justifiable, he should not be concerned with an investigation. We who practice as a service to the public(as well as to feed and educate our children with the income we make) would welcome the exposure and removal of those who trivialize our profession by making it completely profit driven. Glad you found a caring dentist--'nuff said.

Answer 2

It's all about money. Report the dentist to your state's regulatory and professional licensing agency or board. In Illinois it is the Department of Professional Regulation. Contact your state's equivalent and file a complaint. The state will investigate your dentist. Here's the bottom line: unless he has received a significant number of complaints about his practice, it's doubtful that anything of consequence will happen to him. You still need to file the complaint, however, so that the investigation can go forward. They will tell him that a complaint has been filed against him and that they, the state, are looking at him. This may be enough to cause him to tone down the sales pitch and the BS diagnoses so that the next person like you who walks into his office doesn't get taken (or taken as badly).

Oh, forget about the Better Business Bureau for professions like dentists and lawyers. Look to the records of their disciplinary boards instead.

Also, generally speaking, dentists don't belong to the AMA, they belong to the ADA. These are professional associations that serve a number of purposes ranging from working with schools to set educational standards to setting professional codes of conduct or ethics to lobbying federal and state governments. While they can cancel a dentist's membership, they can't prevent a dentist from practicing. Your dentist needs a state license to practice.

Answer 3

The first dentist sounds like a real scumbag. If you feel strongly enough about it you could report him to the better business bureau. You could also contact the Attorney General's Office where you live, explain the situation and ask them if there is anything you can do to report him. Finally, and perhaps most useful, you could contact the Dental Association or the Board that licenses dentists where you live and make a complaint.

Answer 4

Thanks, ponyboy, for expressing the dentists point of view. So many people are willing to condemn all dentists because of the misconduct of a tiny fraction of bad guys.

Also keep in mind that there are often two or more legitimate choices in addressing decay and disease in the mouth. Some dentists will recommend crowns because they think a filling might soon fail and would rather provide the more long-lasting solution.

I'm not saying this is the case with your bad experience, but two honest dentists might present two different treatment plans. Doesn't automatically mean one is ripping you off.

Answer 5

I had a similar problem where I went to a dentist and he told me I had 2 cavities and that I needed to wear a brace at night because he said I was grinding my teeth. He also said my gums looked like a 60-year-old's and I was only 20 at the time. I freaked out. Like you, I couldn't bring myself to schedule another appointment with him, but went somewhere else. Turns out my teeth and gums were just fine. No cavities or anything. I wish I would have pursued the issue. I hope that you have the time to. If I could do it again, I would have sent a complaint to you state dental licensing board. Here's the web site for information http://www.dentalwatch.org/org/boards.html

I don't think it would hurt to try the BBB either.

Good luck.

Answer 6

Dentists can such rip off artists. Always get two or three opinions. I bet the second dentist you saw is right, they love to do unnecessary things to make money. Several have told me I needed all four of my wisdom teeth out, it's been 25 years after the first dentist told me that and i've never had one problem with them. what a joke.

Answer 7

Get the xrays from the slimy dentist. They are your teeth, you have a right to them. Make an appointment with dentist 2 and bring in the xrays. Compare them WITH the dentist. If slimy dentist was trying to rip you off, then get the number to the AMA (American Medical Association) and report the bastard.

Answer 8

Report him to not only the better business bureau but also the American Dental Association. Whatta jerk. But it does happen. I was told by an oral surgeon that I needed two root canals and he referred me to his BROTHER to have it done. Heck no. I went to another dentist and he showed me the xrays and I just had a little cavity that he filled.

Answer 9

I just wouldnt go back to the first dentist, all he cares about is money. Its obvious....Ive been to dentists like this. Hes a jerk, he doesnt care about you. The second dentist you saw is the one to stick with...Im sure hes telling you the truth. I would tell more and more ppl what that first dentist was like and that hes only out for money. These dentists that do that only cause more problems in your mouth. Dont ever go back to him.

Answer 10

No one looks at the BBB when choosing a dentist. The organization has no enforcement powers and obtains compliance mostly by talking to people. If you feel the dentist acted improperly, report him to the agency that licenses dentists in your state.