.I just got off the phone with 2 of Dr Wells staff , they continue to deny how unethical their bogus claims for their astronomical prices and needless dental procedures are .
On 9/16/20 I went to Long Beach Dental Arts (LBDA) to have my teeth cleaned . I had no pain but I knew I was due teeth cleaning . These were their results :
My teeth were x-rayed . Dr Wells walks in . His mask is not over his mouth ! Makes a comment , " I'm not using my mask , is that ok with you " ? I give him a stare , he eventually pulls it over his mouth . He starts rattling out numbers as his assistant writes them down . Afterward , the Dentist leaves , I sit , wait a bit and his assistant comes back . I follow her passed a row of cubicles . She leads me to the hygienist for a periodontal maintenance after therapy ? What does the therapy part mean ( don't know , sounds serious ). Once I'm settled she starts rattling about her love life while my mouth is wide open and being prodded . After 25 mins ( 15 mins actually spent cleaning my teeth ) she leads me to an office . In the office is the assistant who took x-rays . She hands me a printed sheet of what I need done and the cost .
Periodontal maintenance after therapy with medicaments . ( I was not aware I got medicaments ). Must have been the mouth rinse the hygienist gave me . $165.00 .
2 small cavities on front teeth . $370.00
4 porcelain crown repairs / replace . $5000.00
Grand total : $5,535.00 .
Estimated deductible to be applied 0.00
Estimated insurance payment 0.00
Estimated Patients Portion $5,535.00
They don't bother billing my insurance . Today they claimed since it's an HMO they don't bill them . Whatttt ! Makes no sense . Why bother having insurance . I paid the cleaning fee due that day . $165.00 . My balance is $5,370. WOW ! " why so much ! I can't afford this " . I say to the assistant . " Can't you do better ? " ( joking) . All of a sudden she gets up and leaves and comes back in a few . " How about $4,000.00 " she says . I'm shocked ! ( wait , did I just wheel and deal ) ? I never knew I could do that at a dentist office . So I said can you take a bit more off ? She gets up and comes back with an extra $250 . off and says " that's as low as we can go " .
I said ok . " I'll
Take window number two please . " just kidding . I left the office with a reduced bill and appts .
When I get home I tell my roommate of my experience and he said " that's crazy how they changed the prices to keep you interested " . He was right . They actually were like a sales team in a car lot . So I decide to get a second opinion with Western Dental .
A week later I get an appt . with them . They take x-rays and DENTIST comes in to tell me the findings . Turns out I needed a deep cleaning not a Periodontal maintenance . Right there I felt lied to by LBDA . I just blew $165. Turns out my gums were receding and gingivitis was setting in . ( just because I didn't have bad breath and oral pain ) didn't mean that my teeth weren't starting to deteriorate .
The deep cleaning required numbing and could have been done on two separate times because of the trauma and discomfort . I chose to get it over with . After my cleaning I returned to get fitted for trays , because I now need to do severe oral maintenance. I do nightly medicaments for an indefinite time .
Total cost of cleaning / maintenance package was $1,830 .00 . Which really angered me further with LBDA . Why didn't they tell me how severe my gums had gotten . This is what the Western Dental hygienist told me " some dentist will not offer you deep cleaning because they actually want your teeth to decay . That way your teeth will continue to decay and the more it does , more procedures , more money they make . Again $165.00 paid for nothing , seems more like a insurance policy for them to keep your mouth unhealthy .
Not only was that a problem with LBDA but turns out the charges they were claiming were bogus . I did not need 4 crowns repaired , I only needed 2. And not only did I not have 2 front cavities . They were just stains .
Western Dentals prices are set and they were still lower than the renegotiated prices that LBDA claimed .
But my real angst against LBDA is that , I decided to file a grievance against them . My hope was to at least get my $165.00 refunded for unnecessary cleaning of my teeth since it wasn't a cleaning i needed , I needed a deep cleaning .
Their claim to not refund me was " all dentist will have different opinions on what they feel you need to have " Hah ? What is that suppose to mean ? Excuse me , but my mouth is not yours to decide what you choose to do to it for money and not what is best for me ( the patient ) ! read more