Darn Dentist

[IthinkNOT!]

Let's see where do I start?

A couple of months ago I called and made an appointment at a dental clinic about 2 towns over, we don't have one here. The dental clinic is on a sliding scale fee, according to what you make. At the time I made the appoinment I mentioned that my Mom was already a patient there and that I was in her household as far as income. They said that was OK, and to bring 20$ to cover my visit. I specifically asked if that was all I would need, and they said sure, if that wasn't enough they would bill me. So I scheduled the appointment. Fast forward to the day of the appointment. I made the hour drive to get there, only to get in there, and they want to be paid before I even see the dentist. No problem, I hand her my 20$. She's like well this isn't enough, you need 45 more dollars to cover x-rays. I repeat what I was told when I made the appointment about them billing me for the rest. And she said that they didn't do that and I wasn't going to be seen. I asked her if they could make an exception this once and I would know next time how much to bring. She said no, but called her boss, and her boss said that it was fine, just that I couldn't schedule another appointment until the balance was paid. No problem. Got x-rays done and a consult with the dentist. Found out exactly how much work needed to be done to my mouth. The dentist said I need 4 extractions, 6 fillings, scaling, and a partial plate. We discussed the price of everything, and talked about what we would do first. We agreed on cavities first. And I discussed with them prepaying, sending in a check and getting services done till my credit was gone and then paying more, repeat. They said that was fine, as long as it was paid they didn't care.

A couple of weeks later when I got my Pell refund for the summer, I sent them a check to cover what I already owed, and prepay 350$. I called when they had had time to recieve the check and made an appointment for fillings.
We again discussed pricing over the phone and decided that I had enough money paid in to complete all of the fillings. We also discussed doing all of the fillings on one day, even though it would cause me discomfort, because I was coming from so far to be seen. So no problem right?

WRONG! I recieved a letter in the mail verifying my appointment to get extractions done. Woah, wait a minute, EXTRACTIONS???? So I called them back. I was told that the dental clinic was offered as a service to the needy families and that they did the work as they saw fit, not at my discretion. And also told me that I would be coming in to get one extraction done, and would have to come back 3 more times to get the rest done. I told them that I had already discussed that with the dentist, and we were doing fillings. I had to call the supervisor again to get that straight. We had it all set after being on the phone back and forth for an hour that I would be coming in to get 6 fillings, unless I decided that it was too much on one day and wanted to do less, because of the pain factor.

So today was my appointment to go get my fillings. I went all the way to the clinic. Got there, got signed in, had a seat to wait. I got called back to the window, and the woman told me that I was on sliding scale B and that my cost for the visit itself was 30$ due now, and that whatever work they did would be charged at the end of the visit. I explained to her that I had prepaid, and she found my credit in the computer.

The dental assistant called me to the back, and had me sit in the chair. And asked me which tooth was I going to get filled today. I was like, all of them. She said well fillings cost 25$ a piece. And I said no problem. And she asked me was I sure that I could afford that. I told her that I had been quoted 45$ a piece for them and had prepaid. She left and came back, and said that they were only going to do one. She said that the patient schedule only allowed time for one filling. At that point I started to get a little peeved, but was still nice, and explained to her how far I had just drove with gas prices being the way they are. She said that she would talk to the dentist and see what he said.

She came back with the lady from the front desk, and told me that I didn't have enough credit to get but 3 fillings done. And then told me that fillings were 90$ each. I was like when did that happen? They told me that someone must have told me wrong. I was like well, Ok, just fill 3 of them. Thats when they went out in the hallway, where they thought I couldn't hear them and said that they hated people like me who weren't grateful for the services I received, who did I think they were the free clinic?

And that is when I quit being nice. I walked to the door of the room and let them know that if they were trying to have a private conversation it wasn't working. They told me that I needed to sit back down, and wait for the dentist, and be grateful they were doing any work for me at all.

Wrong choice of words, complete wrong choice. I let them know that I wouldn't be getting any services there and that I would like a refund of my money. Thats when they proceeded to tell me, well you may as well sit down and let him do the work, you know it will cost more anywhere else, be glad that we offer this for people like you.

I was like, I just want my money back and I will leave. I may pay more somewhere else, but atleast I will be treated like a decent human being. They had to make a phone call before they could give me a refund. Then they told me that my option was to be seen or not get my money at all. Oh, man, was I ever pissed. They said that it was an administrative decision, and that if I had a problem I needed to talk to them. I told them I wasn't leaving without my money. So the people from administration came in. They told me that I wasn't getting my money. I told them everything that had happened, everything that I have wrote here. They were shocked, and finally agreed to write me a check. So I got my money and they have one less ungrateful client.

The kicker was on the way out the door, there was an immigrant family there, and I listened as the woman told them that there was no charge because the were immigrants, and actually smiled and was nice to them.

So I guess I have a bunch of whines here, the way I was treated, the way the prices changed, and the fact that people who weren't even born here get free care.

I understand that being on a sliding scale is a good thing, and I am thankful that there are places that do that. I know I will pay alot more somewhere else. But why do they have to treat people that way?

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[freeby4me]

That is absolute Bull Sh!t to the extreme. Boy oh boy were they lucky you were as nice as you were. I think they were purposefully bs'ing you on the cost of the stuff, to try and get as much money out of you as possible.

I would go around to the other offices in town and explain what happened and see if they can do a pre-pay set up like that for you. And you are so right, no one at all ever deserves to be treated like that.

[Mary Jo]

Sorry to hear about this.
The clinic I go to is similar. You make an appointment and even if appointment is at 9 you sit there all day. I have to take the whole day off from work and then they maybe do one filling. What's worse is that they don't have a secretary so they only way you can make an appointment is by coming in and sitting all day. Then you get an appointment for maybe three months later and no matter how much they say it will cost it's something different when you have the work done.
It's the only one around that charges on a sliding scale so I'm stuck with them.

[ElleGee]

What a bunch of shizzle... I would've been pissed!!!!!!!

[PrincessArky]

honey I commend you on NOT kicking some a$$ today as I know that must have been hard........I will NEVER understand the joy some get out of trying to make others feel like crap

[LadyLuna81]

Don't know where you are from...but 90 for a filling is not a what I'd consider a discounted price. I have bad teeth, just how it is, and all of my fillings are done with the tooth colored stuff, which is more expensive. Even with that most re below 90, with only those like my front teeth, being more expensive. I think my two front teeth cost 110 each. The rest though were between 70-90.

Call around. You've got the xrays, the new dentist should be able to request them, and then you should be fine to get other work done.

[Shann]

WTF so b/c you're an immigrant you get free care? but if you're a us citizen you get humped up the back? That doesn't seem right and I think I would call back and ask to speak to the highest person possible, obviously I can tell you're not going to go back and I so don't blame you but I would like to know what their opinion on this is? And why did the price change THREE different times? I agree w/ an above poster, I think they were trying to see how much they could get out of you... ridiculous

[wobblypops]

Also, get everything in writing with the next place & also look into reporting this so called dental office to the state.

It's so nice to see a white person getting fair treatment.... *goes off looking for the sarcasm button*

[lucimPI]

Also, get everything in writing with the next place & also look into reporting this so called dental office to the state.

It's so nice to see a white person getting fair treatment.... *goes off looking for the sarcasm button*

What a bunch of BS. Stuff like this really ticks me off. Hope your next dentist is alot nicer and much more honest.

[IthinkNOT!]

Well, it is 12:38am, and I am still up and still pissed over this. I layed down and tried to go to sleep, but everytime I close my eyes I envision that woman telling me that I should be grateful and that I wont find dental care anywhere else for those prices. And I am usually not a violent person, but I think if she was right here in front of me I would strangle her.

On another note, I have been researching and have discovered that the dental clinic I went to today is one of East Carolina University's brain children, their idea of helping the underprivileged in the community. Just 2 days ago I was talking about applying to their nursing school, think I will definatly be rethinking that idea. Especially if what I read is true and the people I had the pleasure of meeting today are future ECU graduates. No thanks, I'm already enough of a b**** on my own without the extra training.

First thing in the morning I am going to call around to the local dentists and find out what their prices are. And I will be putting in a call to their boss also. I will keep fussing until I hit the top. I have also thought about calling the office anonymously to ask how much those fillings would cost for someone on the same sliding scale that I am on.

One thing for sure, I will not be stepping foot back in that office ever again, and if I can help it, no one I know will go either.

[buglebe]

What about contacting a tv station or writing a letter to the editor of the local paper, the kind of letter that you put in the paper. I wouldn't be sleeping either. I don't know how you remained as nice as you did.