Bad Experience at the Dentist
 

My wife just opted to pay for dental insurance from her employer. So we went into the book and found that Aspen Dental on 27/441 in Lady Lake accepts her insurance.

After waiting almost a month for an appointment, we arrived this morning about ten minutes early for her 9:45 appointment. she filled out some paperwork that took about five minutes and at 10:20 she was called into the dentist office.
At 11:02 she sent me a text saying that they took x-rays and she was still waiting to see the dentist. At about 11:15 I got another text expressing her disappointment in the service, or lack thereof.
Finally at 11:40 she comes out and tells me that she saw the dentist for about five minutes and the hygienist for about ten. They told her that she has gingivitis and a lot of plaque buildup. Then they explained that she's have to come back for a cleaning. Not only that, they had to do two different types of cleaning, one of which is not covered by her insurance. They gave her an appointment for May 6.
She is currently in the process of canceling that appointment and we are looking for a dentist who takes Humana and can run an office properly. I assume that her insurance company will now be billed for a visit in which no treatment was provided.
I just felt an obligation to warn my friends on here about this place.

OP, thanks for the heads up. I'm going to hate it when my dentist Retirees at the end of this year. It seems that a lot of the new places only think about money (including work you don't need) --not service or your time.

Sounds like a bad experience........ Just be aware, the vast majority of dentists in the area require you to pay up front, they will file with your insurance company and you will get reimbursed from the insurance company at a non-participating rate....probably 90% for a typical cleaning and xrays. BUT if you find a dentist you like, its definitley better than using a dentist simply because they are participating in your plan.

Unfortunately many, not all of course, medical providers are operating like this today. I had an orthopedic doc up north who was always running an hour behind. One time I asked for the first appointment in the morning and got it. I walked in at 7:45 for my 8:00 appointment and guess what? I was told that the doctor was running an hour behind.
I asked how that could be and was given some stupid excuse about the hospital. It was then that I got to look at his appointment book. He had three people booked in every 15 minute time slot. So when I walked in, the two other people who were also given an 8:00 appointment were there ahead of me. So if each of them took a half hour or the doc was a bit late for some reason, he starts his day and hour behind. 8:00 came and went and about 8:30 I got up and told them I was leaving and that I wouldn't be back. They told me that I couldn't leave and if I did, I would be billed for not keeping my appointment. I explained that I had kept my appointment and the doctor hadn't kept it. They did try to bill me and I had a lawyer friend send them a letter and
I never heard from them again.
I heard about a year later that that office was now running on time or at least close to on time.
The only way that this will stop is if people don't tolerate it. We need to cancel appointments with these people and tell them why we are canceling.

Been there , done that.

I went to Aspen after they told me Ii could come in for a regular cleaning but needed an exam.

The exam, according to Aspen, required removing seven teeth, and biulding two partial bridges. One bridge they said needed to be replace that I have had over thirty years, and is ferfectly fine. When I asked if I could just get a regular cleaning., they said i meedd to go to a periodontists to do that. They recommended someone who is not in my plan and it wouldn't be covered. OH VEY!!!!

Here it comes!!! It was only $2,000 to me, and the bill was $3,000. Needless to say, I won't be going back.

Do a Google search on Aspen Dental....................that will explain it all.
Buyer Beware!

My husband and I have been seeing Dr.Thomas Kim, Bright Smile Center for Dentistry, for over two years (since moving to TV). I don't know if he accepts Humana. We are very pleased with Dr. Kim and his hygienists. His office is about 15 minutes away from Sanibel.

Kathyzapp, do you have to pay up front, or will he bill the insurer for you? I had never heard of this pay-up-front till we came to FL. That's just not how it's done in MI or Pittsburgh.

Also... do you like the hygienist? Is she gentle?

I took your advice and look at some stories. It's surprising that these people are still allowed to operate. Hasn't anyone filed an official complaint?

Dr Winston, you are a regular contributor to TOTV. It's a shame you didn't search for Aspen Dental here. I've heard some bad stories. Sorry for your bad experience.

Wow. I don't live in FL, but have live in multiple states and have never had to pay up front when I had insurance.

I wonder if it has to do with the high number of the transients (workers) and snowbirds that visit FL.

The other cleaning is probably called scaling which takes a lot longer and supposedly you can have only 1/4 done per visit since the whole mouth takes 4 + hours.

http://www.dentalfearcentral.org/faq/deep-cleaning/

My wife's dentist did the entire mouth in less than an hour which we believe was just a normal cleaning which is all she has ever needed and there is no gum disease.

Needless to say it cost about 5 times what a regular cleaning does. We discussed with dentist and insurance but in the end they decided to pay for it but I think we were taken for a ride.

Buyer beware seems more and more the norm..

We have Aetna Dental and have to pay up front. The office then sends the claim to Aetna and we are reimbursed.

We've never had a problem with any of the hygienists. I would say they are gentle and thorough.

Back in my former life, I had several clients and friends who were dentists. What they told me was that because of fluoride in the dentifrices, education about flossing and fluoride mouth washes, people don't get anywhere near the cavities that they used to get. This "drill and fill" work was a huge part of most dentists business.
Some dentists have gone back for education and gotten certified to do root canals and crowns and bridges and other things the average dentist wouldn't do years ago.
Some dentist, however have simply tried to increase their business by "finding" more problems with their patient's teeth.
I think that it's important to report some of these things to the proper government agencies. Otherwise these less than ethical people will never be shut down.

My husband and I have been seeing Dr.Thomas Kim, Bright Smile Center for Dentistry, for over two years (since moving to TV). I don't know if he accepts Humana. We are very pleased with Dr. Kim and his hygienists. His office is about 15 minutes away from Sanibel.

Same here going there over three years nice Dr and staff.
Root canal and no pain.