Ye Joon Suh

I was given a full set of x-rays and an exam, during which both the hygienist and dentist remarked what great condition my teeth were in. But then the dentist immediately launched into why I NEED braces. I have a turned tooth, and while every other dentist I've had has OFFERED braces to correct it, they have also said that the flaw was cosmetic only and didn't affect anything besides the look of my teeth. Even though she had literally just profusely complimented what great teeth I have and what amazing condition they're in moments beforehand. Okay, whatever. I also had a handful of 4s when she checked my gums (1-3 is a healthy measurement). Again, nothing new. I've always had a handful of 4s. My old dentist was the most pushy about saying I should have an oral irrigation, but accepted no for an answer if I chose not to do it. This dentist told me that I needed to treat my gingivitis today and could come back in 6 weeks to have my teeth cleaned. So then the office manager came in and handed me an invoice for $274 that I would need to pay for treatment. Not that we don't have an extra $274 but what the hell?? I know x-rays, exams, and cleanings are covered by our insurance, and that's a lot of money to be expected to pay when I was expecting to pay $0. Oh, well that included a $100 toothbrush that they included for part of my "treatment plan", but they could take that off if I wanted. But $174 is still a LOT of money when you're expecting to pay $0. So I said I just wanted a regular cleaning that was covered by my insurance. The office manager insisted that I COULDN'T get a regular cleaning until I had the gingivitis treatment first. I walked out of the office with no cleaning because I refused that treatment, even after specifically requesting a basic cleaning multiple times, I was refused. Then the next day, I looked closer at the invoice they handed me. The scaling for gingivitis, which is the treatment for it, was 100% covered by my insurance. $40 was for a numbing gel that they neither specified wasn't covered nor gave me the option to refuse. $70 was for an oral irrigation that I'm familiar with and been able to refuse at other dentists, but again it was never specified nor was I given the the option to refuse here. $25 was for an oral cancer screening which, you guessed it, they not not only didn't go over with me to tell me it wasn't covered nor gave me the option to refuse, they didn't even tell me they were going to do one or why they thought I even needed one. And finally $41 for a fluoride varnish when a) our water has fluoride and b) it was covered with the old dentist. So the actual treatment was covered, but they made me think it wasn't and refused to treat me at all unless I paid for a bunch of other things that I either didn't need and shouldn't have to pay for, and not one single item of which was ever explained to me. Just, this is your treatment plan for your diagnosis and we CAN'T clean your teeth until you do ALL of it. The worst part is that this office serves lower income people--it's in the same shopping center as a Goodwill, a Dollar General, and a medicaid pediatrician. So they're doing this to a bunch of people who probably have ZERO insurance and are paying 100% out of pocket. As I was signing in for my appointment, a woman was checking out and the receptionist told her, "Okay, that'll be $274 and we'll see you in six weeks for your cleaning." And I had thought to myself, "Wow, that's a lot of money to not even be able to get your teeth cleaned, that really sucks for her, I hope whatever was bothering her feels better now." Nope. It's probably just what they do to everyone who walks in the door.