This is a really odd business. To start with, I chose Gentle Dental because they had hundreds of 5 star reviews on Google. Turns out that's because they buy reviews on your first visit with an Amazon gift card when all you've done is have an initial checkup.
I continued going here for a year or two though, the people were nice enough, the facilities are clean and seem up to date. I later learned that it is a revolving door of sorts where they cycle out dentists every couple of years. This made me uneasy because of course you want to form a longterm relationship with your care provider. I figured I'd stick with them as long as my Dentist was there. He wasn't great with bedside manner, didn't like to talk much at all, but seemed very capable. Though I never had the same hygienist twice.
Then this year happened where they said I had to have a crown redone because of a gab. This is a $1k+ job even with my great insurance, I had to put it off because funds were so tight at the end of last year with heating bills and Christmas. I got it taken care of first thing in January... and then was told by the front desk at Gentle Dental that my claim was denied and I owe them $900 right then. I do some foot work to verify that my benefits are in order, didn't understand why the claim would be denied, they tell me I have to come up with the money anyway, I pay them $300 saying that's the most I can afford at this time. I call insurance again, and they tell me the reason for denial was that they only cover one crown per tooth for 10 years unless there is proof that the tooth needed to be worked on, a pre-op x-ray. So I have them send a claim form directly to the office hoping they can send the information they need. Next thing I hear back is that I've been forwarded to collections to come up with the money. I call the office again and am met with contempt, told that any work they do with insurance is a courtesy and that I'm no longer a patient and it's out of their hands, take it up with insurance.
So now I'm stuck with a bill from a collections agency, insurance asking for x-rays that they said they never received from the office, and the dentist office saying they want nothing to do with me anymore because seemingly they didn't want to put forth a little more effort with the insurance agency, or clearly explain to me what the problem was so I knew how to follow up.
In over 40 years I've never had this kind of problem with a dental office. Seems like it should be common procedure to follow-up a claim with x-rays sent to the insurance agency, or at the very least communicate to me why insurance wasn't accepting the claim.
There are much better dentist offices within a mile of this place. read more
