Does this seem right? Trying new dentist
 

Had my last teeth cleaning last December, after years of just normal cleanings it was recommended I see a periodontist. This dental office in Fruitland Park has a nice dentist and staff, but maybe not the advanced cleaning apparatus such as the ultrasonic unit. Anyway, because of not yet having my Covid vaccination, I put this off. Got vaccinated in April, then went on a 3 month camping trip.

Upon return, in late July I made an appointment at Dental on Fennell, because as a new modern office they seemed to have the latest equipment. Could not get in until Oct 12 for an initial appointment and cleaning.

I was there at least 1.5 hours getting panorama, multiple small xrays, some fancy camera views of every tooth. Finally the probing for gum depth. I heard mostly level 2,3 and a few 5’s in the molar areas. Dentist comes in, tells me my teeth are grinding and we could use Invisaline to correct them (big money), there are two small fillings he could fix, one on a far back molar that’s been there since the 1980’s. And of course, I need the deep cleaning and scaling to the tune of $1000, which my insurance doesn’t cover.

So, I end up leaving the office with NO cleaning, they will check again with insurance, as will I.

But it seems like I am being held hostage…..no teeth cleaning unless it is the deep cleaning first. I was not happy to say the least. Anyone know a dentist that will just do a cleaning, or is the insurance going to require the deep cleaning now that this dentist has recommended it?

I use Dr. Lunsford in Leesburg. I first went to a Villages dentist where they wanted $6,000 for deep cleaning and three crowns. That was 4 years ago and I still have not needed a deep cleaning and only one crown. Deep cleaning seems to be a typical upsell in The Villages. I don't have dental insurance.

Move on. Too much sales pressure is a red flag. Common in corporate dental locations . They have financial quotas

Deep cleaning should run 850 if you have bleeding gums or a lot of 4 plus depth. Dental plans.com has price list you should be paying with a discount plan. You don’t want to buy dental insurance

Watch teethtalkgirl on YouTube. Hygienist gives you the real information you need. Also northtexas dental channel. Huge cavity? Filling? Crown? Root canal? Implant? How much will it cost? - YouTube

A Deep Cleaning vs. a Regular Cleaning?
 

Price seems high. Cavity probably should be replaced due to its age.

Run Forrest Run

Interesting, I get ultrasonic cleanings twice a year as part of my regular cleaning. Now I do have insurance through husbands employer which pays well but when I get in the chair I simply request the “power washer” because I can’t stand all that scraping. I’ve never paid any extra for it.

I would go back to the original dentist you were using in Fruitland park if they will take you back. We all got our teeth cleaned thirty years ago without all the fancy shmancy equipment and they were fine.

I had a deep cleaning done, my insurance did cover it, but imo a deep cleaning here in Florida is a normal cleaning back in CT. I couldn’t tell the difference. Maybe deep cleaning is something new in the last few years or so. Check your insurance if you have any, mine was covered as long as the dentist used the right codes.

DO NOT get any dental work done at the FANCY smooth talking dental facility in Colony! I went in to get a normal cleaning...my teeth have always looked good and I've taken care of them. They took several pictures of my whole mouth, each tooth, x-rays, etc. After 3 HOURS of telling me how bad it was...and a $15,000 estimate...I RAN OUT OF THE PLACE!!! I went to another dentist the next day and he cleaned my teeth...with no issues!!!! He said NOTHING was wrong with my teeth and my cleaning was easy!!!

There are dentist in this area that are looking to rip off older people that don't go receive second and third opinions on major dental work! If someone tells you that you need more than a cleaning you should get a second and possibly third opinion from dentists that are highly recommended !!!!

As previously stated... RUN FORREST RUN...
:shocked::ohdear::shocked:

Dental mark-ups (yikes!)
 

I have been to those “smooth talking dental facilities” around here. I do need some work done, for sure, on my teeth, but when I asked for an estimate, I was shocked. I don’t have insurance, BTW. One of the offices presented me with a written estimate of $22,000! I was speechless.

I go to Lake Miona Dental office on 466 in Oxford - next to the Walmart. They do the sonic cleaning and then hand cleaning. They have not tried to scam me and feel they are equal to the dentist I see in Illinois. The 5's are a definite concern so be sure you pay extra attention to those teeth with dental floss and you can improve the number. They have the equipment to do the laser periodontal treatment if needed. Not sure what insurance you have so call first to be sure any dental office you chose take it. I don't think it will matter about the deep cleaning inquiry going forward. Good luck!

Sounds, as if you need a second opinion perhaps a third
It’s a shame, we seniors, are taken advantage of
You should list the dentist and the office to see if others have had similar experiences

Welcome to Florida - I call the device they use to show you on a screen in inside of your mouthTHE REVENUE ROD!! They are up selling you - you are WARNED!!

Stand up and look at the numb nut and say. I came here for a cleaning.
Not your over embellishment for your own gains.

Sorry you are not the only Dentist and I am sure you will be blogged regularly as a poor choice for dental work.

As for cleaning, floss then brush and then brush with scope. If you are one of the folks that produces high amounts of plaque that is another whole story and you need to get blood work first. Plaque on your teeth is the same as it is in your blood.
If you have gum disease, you will not get a cleaning as the Dentist will not incur the risk of a patient having a stroke after a cleaning.
Basically, you are at a higher risk of stroke or severe heart attack.

The back story, most people are deathly afraid of the dentist, why? neglect which then leads to thousands.



Quote of the day....
"Ignore your teeth and they WILL GO AWAY"
:bigbow:

Corporate SCAM dentist. Pay them what you owe them. DROP Them. Go to Tooth Acres Mt Dora. They will not scam you. 110 Waterman Ave, Mt Dora, FL 32757

Dentist
 

Try Heritage Dental in Lady Lake. If you Google them you will be amazed at how many 5 star ratings they have.

Been there done that with a dentist in Ocala. Seems many want to deep clean. They got me once ( shame on me)! Now when I head north I see my dentist there NO deep cleaning. Many dentists here are robbers "they hold you up without a gun."

Any time a hygienist say you have this or that and they make a plan to fix it, match out. I was told by a dentist is a plaza near Sparr and they are required by law to x-ray once a year. They threw on all kinds of stuff in the plan including fluoride treatment (I’m 75) and a water pick.
Turned down fluoride and water pick. Bought one from Wally World for little money and love it. Well worth the money. You would believe what comes out even after brushing.
I use Dr. Eddie Orebitg in Leesberg. Mary Lou is receptionist and is great. Staff consciencious. This office like my dentist back in NH. He also makes his own crowns while you wait. And his has some other new equipment to do something in house. Both old and new dentist made me crowns. Reasonable and within 2hours easy.
Get away from villages for services if you can. We get talked into all kinds of stuff and are usually too polite to say no.

You need a deep cleaning if your gums are bleeding badly and have a Lot of tartar. Teethtalkgirl will have the information you need on YouTube to make a informed decision

Teeth Talk Girl - YouTube

“Plaque on your teeth is the same as your blood”
I’ve been in practice for 38 years and I never heard that one! How long have you been in practice? Also, a prophylactic pre-med usually amoxicillin is given to prevent heart attack or stroke in certain patients. That way you don’t get sued for not cleaning the patient’s teeth especially patients with gum disease.

Hometown Dentistry @ Laurel Manor. Dr. Barnett. A real pro, and they will not upsell you.

I had the exact same experience at a dental facility near Brownwood. Big upsell attempt. My dentist back in Missouri, who I had gone to for years, never suggested a deep cleaning. Hey...just because the dentist has a boat payment due doesn't mean I need all of your fancy "services!" I went for a second opinion, and wound up at Marion Dental. They did a thorough exam and cleaning, with no upsell attempts. They were fair and honest, and will now be my regular dentist here. Good luck.

My philosophy is this with dentists. If it not hurting, leave it alone. Learned this by going to a dentist who said I had an old filling that needed to be replaced. I said OK. A filling, a crown, a root canal, and $3000 later for a tooth that was not giving me any problems at all. If I were you I would look for a dentist well outside The Villages.

Mine did the same thing. It is a new racket. They won’t lean your teeth and it almost forced you to pay for the”deep” cleaning.

Thank you all so much for the valuable advice and suggestions. A closer look at my proposed plan shows a charge of $46 9 times for locally applied antibiotic. $133 per quad for perio scale/ root plane. Plan to do in two sessions.

This office is located near Total Wine on 466.
Will be calling my insurance soon, may be changing plans for 2022 to get one that covers more than basic, which is what I currently have.

If you need a Dentist, call Dr. Kevin Wallace: (352) 259-0822. We have been using him for more than 10 years. He and his Staff are excellent. He is very professional and very patient and caring. The practice is called: Marion Dental Group. Dr. Wallace has an Emergency telephone number. I have had a couple of emergencies over the past 10 years. I was seen the next morning. Dr. Wallace is also a Prosthodontist. A prosthodontist is a dentist who specializes in treating complex dental and facial matters, including the restoration and replacement of missing or damaged teeth with artificial devices. They are highly trained in dental implants, crowns, bridges, dentures, jaw disorders, and more.

Where do you go? Would like to try them.

[QUOTE=Yucatan2;2017100] Anyway, because of not yet having my Covid vaccination, I put this off. Got vaccinated in April, then went on a 3 month camping trip.[/jQUOTE]

Really, and who’s fault is that?

Where did you go? I also do no want to go back to Colony.

Ohiobuckeye
 

I hear what your saying. When we lived in Ohio, then TV & last Texas. The first thing they said I needed was a deep cleaning which my Ins. did pay. They have to numb you up first & they only do half your teeth then in a week the other half of your mouth. Then after about a month they do a reg. cleaning, why? Next time they tell me I have get a deep cleaning I think I’m going to tell them, NO just a reg. cleaning. Even if my Ins. does pay for it I’m not going to make Lexus payment for the dentist & if he refuses which I don’t think he will refuse to but do a reg. cleaning, we have hundreds of other dentist in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area. PS: Oh yea they wanted me to come back every 3 months for a reg. cleaning but my Ins. only pays for cleanings every 6 months. But they agreed! I’m almost 73 yrs. old. My teeth are perfect except for the normal wear that old age gets!

We tried a local dentist and the up-sell efforts were constant and intense. After growing tired of this routine we sought out a traditional dentist and found exactly that with Dr Herb Bennett in Leesburg. No pressure, gentle advice, and proceeds with your choices. Friendly office staff (very rare these days) and ultra sonic cleaning tools. We highly recommend his practice.

Find a dentist outside the the bubble.

352-748-7645 dentist in Oxford just 200 yards on right north of 466 on 301. Old office, reasonable pricing. I’ve had two implants and bridges at different times and both around 5 k each. They back their work up also.

Had my teeth deep cleaned after five years! $93. Took a good hour.

Deep cleaning?
 

My dentist never ever recommended a deep cleaning for me. I don’t know what it entails.
I use DDS Edwards and Dental assistant Dondra for cleaning at Marion Dentists on 441, and get fair price and outstanding care. I use Sensodyne toothpaste and I brush at least twice a day and use floss to remove tartar or debris. No new cavities since i moved here 2018 PLEASE AVOID THOSE OTHER HIGH PRICE FOOLS.

Deep Cleaning?
 

My daughter is a dentist and she warned me when we moved here that because of the aging demographic in The Villages we'd be offered unnecessary expensive procedures. She did warn me that counties in the Villages don't use Fluoride in the water and that might be the only "extra" I'd need, but that Fluoride tooth paste is quite effective. Luckily I'm a snowbird so I go back to New York to have dental work. I think we're sitting ducks for all sorts of scams - ops "extras" - if we're not careful.

I’d be willing to bet that your experience was at Villages Dental. Those guys are well-known for their “free” initial exam, and then multiple recommendations for dental work. In my case they recommended all that stuff they thought you should have, plus five crowns. Total initial estimate of costs? $18,000.

Needless to say I found another dentist here. When I checked back with my dentist up north, he just shook his head. He told me that his policy was to fix only what was broken or about to break. Villages Dental wanted to put my teeth back to looking like a 25-year old TV star.

Keep looking. There are lots of dentists who follow a different business model than Villages Dental.

I hope you will find this helpful - my recently retired husband was a dentist for 38 years. I worked in the front office for many of those years. His practice philosophy was keeping his patients healthy. He constantly kept up with continuing education and updated equipment that would be the most beneficial for his patients. Our new patient exam was 2 hours long and incredibly thorough. He would absolutely NEVER recommend any treatment that wasn’t necessary. That would be unethical. What is so difficult when you become a new patient is developing a level of trust with your new dentist. We would sometimes have new patients come in believing that they were in great shape when in fact they had serious periodontal disease or a host of other issues. And really how would the average person know? You have a level of trust with your previous dentist and you believe you are receiving the best care when in fact, you may not. I’m just saying that you may not want to just assume that the new office is being unethical. Periodontal issues can occur at any time, particularly as it had been a while since you had your last cleaning and exam. There is a very big difference between a “regular” cleaning and scaling & root planing. And after the scaling & root planing, usually you will need a 3 month interval for regular cleanings. The goal is to keep your natural teeth. (It is also much more expensive to replace teeth than to have appropriate care for your natural teeth.) Also, cleanings are not usually done at the new patient exam because not everyone needs the same kind of cleaning and they take different amounts of time. And one last thing - your insurance will not require you to have scaling and root planing because it was recommended. I hope this has been a little bit helpful! Good luck!