This is the *first* Deltacare HMO ("DC-HMO") Insurance dentist I have found in the San Jose area who -- in addition to being well-trained, professional, and available -- diligently performed all the components of a proper initial dental evaluationt including xrays, gum pocket measurements, etc., without being asked (see below), also didn't recommend expensive unnecessary work that Deltacare doesn't cover.
In our first visit (yesterday) Dr. Chu reviewed my prior x-rays and photos (which my former dentist emailed me) and compared them to the ones he took; by this AM his wonderful secretary Sharon already had mailed me the xray pictures as requested. Dr. Chu confirmed that my xrays and exam showed healthy bone and teeth; he did not tell me I had cavities that didn't exist (see below), nor did he urge me to get crowns that I didn't need, etc. In addition to taking my dental history, reviewing my current and old xrays and photos, and examining my teeth and gums, he meticulously measured all the periodontal gum pockets. (I mention this, because the first DC-HMO dentist I saw did not do the "necessary for a competent examination" work of measuring my gum pockets until I asked her, whereupon she shrugged her shoulders and said something like, "Well, if you want me to I will.")
Dr. Chu then advised me what I could do to improve my periodontal health (e.g., in addition to my regular brushing and flossing, I should start using the water-flosser I bought 4 months ago that's been sitting unopened in my bathroom cabinet, LOL), and scheduled me for the *regular* cleaning that I actually needed, rather than for the "deep cleaning" that *many* DC-HMO dentists recommend to everyone (or even *insist* you get according to other Yelp! reviews I've read) due to DC-HMO not paying dentists anything more than your $10 co-Pay when they do a regular cleaning. (More on how DC-HMO pays dentists below, which explains why it's nearly impossible to find more that a 3-Yelp!-star dentist who takes new patients with DC-HMO insurance; I spent a *huge* amount of time Yelp!-ing before I found Dr. Chu.)
As for my previous experience with DC-HMO dentists through Kaiser Sr Advantage, 100% (except Dr. Chu) recommended unnecessary treatment that DC-HMO does not cover. [In reading this, note that my prior (non-DC-HMO) dentist, who treated me for ~20 yrs before DC-HMO & who I went to "private-pay" for a double-crown I needed done while on DC-HMO (yes, I was willing to pay him ~$1,000 more than I would have had to pay a DC-HMO dentist for it), confirmed that I didn't need any other work done, & that I don't need "deep cleanings." In addition, around two months prior to seeing Dr. Chu (i.e., after the other visits described below) I got checked by a highly respected American-Israeli dentist who trained at NYU and has 40 years of professional experience, who said the same thing.
1. The most common DC-HMO dentist bill-padding (which I interpret as "fraud" FWIW) involved telling me I needed crowns on some teeth with old fillings & the old fillings replaced with new ones on others.
2. One DC-HMO dentist, who reasonably recommended I get a cleaning every 4 months rather than every every 6 months due to some asymptomatic 4-mm pockets on my perio exam, told me she needed to do a "deep cleaning" (see below). [As, I later learned, DC-HMO does not pay dentists *anything* for a regular cleaning & they tell patients they only "cover" a "non-deep" cleaning every 6 mo (even though there's nothing to prevent the dentist from doing one more often), so the only way they can get paid a penny more than your $10 office co-payment is to tell you that you need a deep cleaning. This is why the Yelp! reviews of DC-HMO listed dentists almost invariably include complaints that the dentist recommended -- or even "insisted on" -- deep cleanings for patients who never needed them with non-HMO dentists and who had no change in their condition and no symptoms indicating periodontitis.]
3. The last DC-HMO dentist I saw in Oct 2015 (she no longer accepts DC-HMO through Kaiser, which apparently is more restricted than "not through Kaiser") told me that in addition to "needing" a $125 Deep Cleaning & Scaling plus a $50 local antibiotic treatment done *immediately*, plus 2 crowns (including an extra charge for "build-up") for $1,216, plus a $145.15 4-month "dental maintenance" ... I also had decay on one of my teeth which required a $125 filling. From my then-recent visit to my non-HMO dentist for the double crown I knew I didn't need any more crowns, but hearing that I had new decay requiring a filling on a previously healthy tooth worried me, which is why I consulted with the NYU-trained well-respected dentist while in Israel. Per above, he (and then Dr. Chu) both agreed I had no tooth decay.
So, whether or not you have DC-HMO, try to establish with Dr. Chu! He's well-trained, caring, diligent, and ... HONEST! read more