Here's the problem, in my opinion. HMO dentists have to accept very low payments for their work. If they had a good going business, they wouldn't need to work for an HMO. Why do they do it? Do they lack experience?
I went to an HMO dentist once to get a tooth pulled. He had a very difficult time with it. He called for a hammer and chisel and I could feel the vibrations going through my skull as he hammered away. Was he doing something wrong? I don't know.
While waiting in his wating room, a woman showed me several teeth that he had implanted in her mouth. They just looked odd, very odd. They didn't look at all real.
And I think the dentist gives the worst hygienist to those who belong to an HMO. They are a little rough and might not be all that experienced.
These dentists have at least 3 levels of cleaning that they do. If you need level one cleaning, then it's paid for by the HMO. If you need level 2, then you likely will have to pay the whole bill yourself and it will be a higher price than what the HMO would have paid. So, naturally, they will try to kick you up to a higher level. It almost has the feel of a "bait & switch" scheme.
Also, there may be a tendency for the dentist to look for extra work in your mouth. Dentists, in my opinion, will wait 'til summer when business is slow and then suggest that you need someting done. And that might be especially true for HMO dentists.
I decided, several years ago, to forget about going to an HMO dentist. I believe you only get what you pay for. I'm going to a regular dentist in The Villages and paying full price out of my own pocket. And I'm very satisfied.
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