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In 2007 I went to Aspen dental after getting dental insurance. I told them that I wanted some of my teeth capped. I had been going to a dentist all along and 3 months before I went to Aspen I had my teeth cleaned. Aspen took alot of x rays, and had informed me that I had Periodontal Disease and that I would have to take care of this first. They had gave me a invoice on how much it would cost. It was well over $ 1000.00.
I called up my previous dentist and explained to the receptionist that I had been to Aspen and before I could say anything, she knew what Aspen had done because they did the same thing to 2 other people. Aspen also told my sister in law she also had Perio Disease. I asked for my x rays and took them to my previous dentist and he confirmed that I do not have that disease. i now have my new caps and I'm not having problems with them or my gums. I wounder how many other people have been ripped off by Aspen...
I fully agree with the above person. I went to Aspen in Torrington,CT since I had not been to the dentist in about 2 years, I figured I would give them a try since they were advertising the free patent exam and x-rays for new patients.Well, I got the x-rays and come time for the exam the Dr there started poking at my tteth to measure, and started reading off numbers.. Well the end of the exam she say " you need 2 root canals, 5 fillings and your bottom wisdom teeth out" (I will give her the wisdom teeth as I knew they needed to go 2 years ago when I was last at the dentist).
Anyhow, I went with her advice in which she first suggested pulling the teeth instead of offering the root canal.. I talked with the manager there and she was supposed to contact my insurance company to find out cost! Well weeks later I never heard back from the manager so I called my old dentist (whom I throughly trust) I got and appt. for a cleaning with my dentist (my original one) and spoke to one of the Dr's while I was there. I told him what the dentist (Dr) said at aspen about 5 fillings, 2 root canals and the 2 bottom wisdom teeth, He was definately stumped and puzzled.
So, one week later I went back again to my original dentist who did the cleaning and brought with me my x-rays (copy of my x-rays) he could really tell anything from them the copy was so bad so he ended up taking new ones (free of charge) and to his and my surprise... and what I knew already and him too.. was that they were trying to get work done in my mouth that was not needed. The x-rays revealed yes, I do need my bottom wisdom teeth out and( we and I knew this) but the x-rays showed I only need 1 filling possiably2 or 3 (but they are only watches) but they are really small and can wait a while. He even said I will eventually need caps but not for another few years!
Bottom line.. I am so glad I went back to my old dentist and got a second opinion otherwise I would have had probably thousands of dollars worth of needless,senseless dental work done..
I would NOT recommend this place to anyone...Free or otherwise! they just want $$$ and they did not or will not get it from me.
Aspen Dental seems to have a protocol for doing these types of things. According to them, everyone has gum disease. Kids have many cavities. No matter what kid, they have cavities.
Aspen Dental HAS NO ONE THAT KNOWS how to file dental insurance properly, balance a dental billing sheet or appropriately apply discount programs and other fee credits. The billing managers will argue with you and are extremely rude, even when they realize that some of us have prior experience in this field... and are right.
In the Worchester office, they have this one guy who is the office manager and he MAKES NO EFFORT TO DO HIS JOB. I heard him tell one patient they never except health insurances for payment.
The guy who was a customer was correct when he stated blue cross/blue shield DOES pay some dental benefits. His particular plan may not have, but some health plans pay small fees for dental coverage. However, the office manager did not know this and the dink he called at the main office in Rhode Island or New York also did not know this.
How do I know this? For 3 years, BC/BS has paid them small compensation in addition to my dental insurance...and they have accepted it.
They have however, NOT BOTHERED TO BILL MY PRIMARY INSURANCE FOR CRAP AND ALL MY BILLS WITH MY RESPONSIBILITY HAVE BEEN WRONG!
Then, the chick that fields the calls I make, talks in a condescending manner and I know she is waiting to generate another new bill... which is wrong as well.
I heard the delight in her voice when I pointed out that they had been billing this insurance for services rendered prior to my insurance being in affect. Against the law.
Plus, that crap was previously paid for and now I want to know why they are DOUBLE BILLING TWO YEAR OLD SERVICES.
In medical and dental billing, you have 1 year. 1year. 1year to bill for services rendered in the medical and/or dental field. If you don't get it done, your bad.
So I am sure that down the road I will get the priviledge of talking to some other dumb ### about the fact that when I originally was using Aspen, I had a paid up credit balance and a dental discount plan and some benefits from BC and that all charges should have been billed with the discount fee schedule and deducted from my credit balance and billed also to my BC bene plan.
In the summer of last year, the work done from then on should have been billed to my
dental insurance and my bene plan and the remainder should have been my portion to pay.
However, without a serious audit from an outside agency... and complete evidence of what went where and how they came to the conclusion... I will probably have to find an attorney that will send them reeling.
I think I am going to start by initiating a ADA investigation, then contact the state of Ct and MA boarud people that regulate insurance companies and fraud of insurance companies, followed by contacting the state attorney generals offices in both states.
I am beginning to wonder why so much mass confusion and masked secrecy in their billing practices.
I just want 1 PERSON TO GO TO WORK FOR ASPEN THAT UNDERSTANDS SIMPLE BILLING PRACTICES FOR INSURANCE CLAIMS AND FEE SCHEDULES. JUST 1.
I completely agree. I have been to Aspen Dental in New Hartford, NY and I get the same type of billing practices. I feel as if i'm being scammed by them. I first got my statement of what they said I needed then had to schedule 3 seperate visits for 3 cavities, i'm assuming to get an extra dentist fee for each visit. On my way out I was asked to pay the amount not covered by my insurance. Each of the 3 visits I paid the amount required at the desk. After each visit about 2 to 3 weeks later I recieved an additional bill for each appointment. Each of the bills was for a different amount one for $17.00, one for $27.00 and the latest for $65.00. This has to be a scam! I am done with Aspen Dental completely!
Yes, the same here in Aspen Dental in Fairlawn, Ohio, 3737 W Market St, Fairlawn, OH 44333, [protected]
We switched to it over an year ago.
A few months after we switched, the manager began to cook the book, charging services never provided, cheating both the insurance and us, mostly on my wife since her English is limited.
I confronted the manager several times, and she always blamed human error in book keeping
Last Dec, I demanded the account ledger and caught all the charges on non-existing services, one was just two-day old!
Dozen or so people also caught their cheating
If you used this office before, make sure you ask for a detail account print-out and go through it thoroughly
On top of the cheating, their works are terrible: Not only they chatted during cleaning, one time, when we took my girl home after cleaning, we notice a big chuck of deposit was not removed
Aspen Dental is committed to providing all patients with exceptional service and care. Marie, we sincerely apologize if your visit to our office was anything less. We want to do everything we can to address your concerns. I have forwarded your message to a member of our Patient Satisfaction team who will get back to you shortly. Marie, we are committed to your total satisfaction and we look forward resolving any issues quickly and courteously. Thank you for letting Aspen Dental serve you.
My girlfriend has over $2000 in dental costs from Aspen, and she is still in extreme pain and in fact just had a temporary bridge fall out... this place is a joke and should be investigated by the Dental Licensing Board. What a bunch of crooks at this place. I have told my girlfriend that she should not pay any of their bills until she is pain free.
Google Aspen Dental complaints...there are too many to read! This is a company that profits from people's misery and that needs to end. Your complaints are important and worthwhile pursuing. Don't be another silent victim! Speak out and bring attention to your legitimate complaints. They are conducting a criminal business; defrauding consumers and insurance companies. We're not talking about a pair of shoes, but your health and well being. Keep looking for a class action lawsuit...it is coming soon.
Yesterday I had my first appointment at Aspen Dental. I have a 20 year old bridge that needs replacing, and I wanted some of my front teeth bonded because they are discolored and have some superficial cracks. The reason I went there is because of the TV commercials about the great financing. Since cash is tight, I thought it might be a good option.
My experience echoes so many horror stories I have read since I got home yesterday. My appointment was for 2:45. About 3:15 I was finally called back to this very large room that was partitioned off with walls that did not go all the way to the ceiling. In each cubicle there was a dental chair. The place was insanely busy. I heard all the other patient's problems, business, and exactly what was wrong with their teeth. There was one hygenist, one xray tech, one dentist, and some girl (probably an assistant) all pedaling as fast as they could. They were all very nice (even though the assistant spoke to me like I was a deaf first grader), but I could tell they were probably terribly underpaid. They all were neat and clean but there was a shabbiness about their uniforms, like they were purchased at the Salvation Army or something.
After receiving the umpteenth apology for how long it was taking, and why it was so long of a wait, "We only have one hygenist here" she smiled as she ran by. I said "Are you always this slammed with patients around here?" The response was a little scary, "Oh, this is a slow day". Sheesh!
I laid in the chair for another 45 minutes, listening to the hygenist try to talk a little girl who was having a screaming tantrum into letting her look in her mouth. This after the girl just witnessed a half an hour torture session of her brother while the hygenist cleaned "the worst tartar off his teeth" she had "ever seen". She told the mother he needed a specialist .
Anyway, finally my turn. The first thing the hygenist did was try to sell me a Vizi-lite exam. After I declined she and the assistant began sticking a pointed dental instrument in my gums and counting out numbers to the assistant. This went on for the next 20 minutes. I was told I had very deep pockets under some of my teeth which was a sign of periodontal disease. Really? My gums don't bleed, they are nice and pink, I don't have bad breath, none of my teeth are loose (save the fake one in the bridge). I tried to tell them that I was there to have a bridge replaced, and perhaps some bonding, but they kept going on about how bad my gum disease was.
The doctor finally came in around 4:30. He was very nice. He examined me for head and neck cancer, inspected the insides of my mouth, and tried to sell me the Vita-lite, again. I said no, again. I told him about my bridge and desire for my front teeth to be fixed, but he told me that I had very severe periodontal disease and that I would have to have surgery. If not all the bone would be eaten away and I would lose all my teeth. He presented my dental xrays as evidence. Well, I'm an RN, but I don't know a dental xray from a hole in the ground so he could have told me I had ANYTHING and I wouldn't know the difference. He told me they would not do anything on my teeth until I went to a specialist. They gave me a name of a peridontist and said they would have my xrays sent to him.
I tried to get more information from them about what I wanted done as far as how much it would cost and all, but they told me their computer was down and they couldn't tell me. I left there feeling very unsatisfied and very uneasy. I can't put my finger on it but something was very hinky about that place. Now I see many others were told the same thing! I plan on seeing the dentist I had been going to before I lost my dental insurance. Funny, she did full xrays just last October and never said anything about severe gum disease.
I wonder if the dentist to which they referred me is on their payroll? I think I'll check it out!
Aspen Dental in Webster, NY misled me. i now owe them 1, 170.00, which i'm fighting.i plan on reporting them to the Better Business Bureau. they are not upfront on their cost. the office claim they will get discounts from my dental insurance, which of course never happened, and now i owe aspen dental over 1, 000.
i completely agree with the complaints about aspen dental. they are in business solely for the profit they can make by selling unnecessary services and for doing unnesseary dental and gum work. i am sure they have hurt more people then they have helped. from the moment we walked in, it was one hard sell after another. they flately refused to clean our teeth instead insisting on expensive gum treatments. i have seen a dentist 2 times a year for the last 30 years (lastly in december) no one ever said i had gum disease.
i notified the insurance company of my complaint. i suggest everyone do so too. maybe they'll shut them down.
I find it some what amusing to read so many complaints about one company, from people who have only ever gone to their PRIVATE PRACTICE dentists for years. Being a private practice doctor myself, when I need to have work done on my own teeth Aspen Dental is the ONLY place I will go. So many private practice doctors DEPEND on their patients returning, even if they only get a cleaning the doctor depends on them paying SOMETHING rather than NOTHING and leave the practice. As a dentist it is true that 3 out of 4 people have either gingivitis or periodontial disease (by the way, gingivitis IS considered a form of periodontal disease). So many people feel "cheated" because the doctors at Aspen Dental follow the guidlines of dentistry to the full extent of top stantard as put in place by the American Dental Association. Most private practice dentists cut corners and "ignore" certain issues to ensure you keep coming back. A pano and full mouth series of xrays is standard in the dental world. You need that 2d conversion of bone for diagnosis. Even in my own office when I recommend Soft Tissue Management therapy or STM to my patients they often ask "well can I just get a regular cleaning and do the deep cleaning at some other time?" When STM is diagnosed it is considered MEDICAL NEGLECT to leave that infection under the gums. I'd say 8 out of 10 private practice dentist do it anyways to try to keep their paitents. Statistically 1 out of 7 people know how to floss PROPERLY, most people do not even know how to properly HOLD floss, let alone doing the mechanical job of using floss to remove plaque from between the teeth as well as UNDER the gums. Gingivits and periodontal disease is also contagious! Most people do not know that you can give your dental problems to your signifcant other through kissing and intimate contact. It is ILLEGAL to do a regular prophylaxis if gingivitis is present, a full mouth debridement must first be done to try to revert the infection, and in more serious cases Scaling and Root Planning but be performed (aka SRP). I am not sure that many of you complaining about billing issues realize when you are dealing with a corporate style health facility insurance is not handled at an office level. In private practices the doctor themselve's or staff they hire is responsible for insurance claims. A company like Aspen Dental does everything through their corporate networks, and the manager can only do but so much in that sense at the office level. I refer all of my patients to Aspen Dental, and have ever heard back very little complaints. I refer my patients who need those "deeper" cleanings for their gums as I do not have a hygienist in my practice and do all the prophylaxis treatments myself, and to help keep my patients who need restorative work the chance to be able to schedule in a timely fashion. I'm sure that if many of you actually contacted the BBB you would realize they have recieved hundreds of awards from the BBB. As a dentist I'm here to tell you that when resortative work is needed, such as a filling, or crown AND there is evident gum issues, any GOOD dentist will tell you that it needs to be the first thing taken care of to ensure that the risk of infection is at its lowest possible point before proceeding. If you have current infection and go to drilling for fillings, or preping a tooth for a crown or bridge there is likely to be some bleeding, which can make the infection worse and help it spread to areas that it may have not previously infected. Yes, I understand that when you go into a dentist looking to fix your "cheif complaint" its irritating to be told that other things must be completed before the work that WANT done and the work you NEEDdone is different. I have been a dentist for 10 years and I will tell you that should my practice ever go under the first place I will seek employement would be with Aspen Dental. They follow the guidelines that EVERY dentist should, but choose not to. My collegues have even had heated debates about their corporate model, it is the only model that exists in the medical field period, and many health professionals would kill to get a hold of it and see the true interworkings on building a corporate health company such as Aspen Dental. The other thing I have read that seems to be driving these complaints is money. As harsh as it may seem, health professionals are in a business, which means they want to make money. People do not like to think that it's right not profit off of someone's health, but we all have to make a living some how. I think all of you should stop and truly consider you opinions formed next time you go to Aspen Dental, and then go back to your private practice dentist. Consider your private practice's true motive when they tell you that "oh no, you don't need this or that. I can't see how they diagnosed this for you" they are in it to make money as well. What do you think is going to be the dentists first thought when you start your visit off with "I went to Aspen Dental and they told me I needed all this work"...dentist first thought "oh crap, they are going to go give their money and insurance to another practice, I need them to keep coming here so that I TOO can make money"..."oh my goodness, I can't believe they told you that, why don't you get in the chair and I will go ahead and give you that regular cleaning you want, I'll just bill your insurance so don't worry about it" Yeah...how honest do you THINK your dentist really is...but then again you will never REALLY find out. Tell the patient what they want to hear, and they will give you the money you want to make...unfortunately the philosphy that way too many dentist live by. I trust Aspen Dental enough to refer a lot of patients, who will still come back to me because I am honest. They go to Aspen for the more extensive stuff, come back to me for the rest, and I never hear a complaint. I tell the patient what they want to hear, because I make them realize what they need is what needs to be fixed, telling them it is going to fixed becomes the very thing they want to hear.
I just want my insurance money. Can you handle that for me? If not, I’m not interested what you have to say
I bet dr haynescano gets kick backs from aspen dental. Aspen dental is like a fast food dentist office, no quality, just a quick place to go if you are in a rush. Take your time and if they freak you by saying you have periodontal disease, get a second opinion without telling the other office what aspen dental told you. See of the other practice says the same thing. Dentists are all like mechanics, sometimes they are honest(usually because you know the guy) but most of the time they are doing excessive work that doesnt need to be done to make money. Ever notice how yoi take your car in to fix 1 prob only to have a 2nd prob turn up to cost u more $ in the near future? U guessed it, sabotage! Dentists are crooks. They love to hear that you havent seen a dentist in a while, they throw the periodontal disease at u, you go home, google it, you tube it and find yourself rushing to get the pro fixed. Then say you need to go to the dentist every 3 months or your tee will rot away... Nice scam right? Dr hayescano is completely way off the mark. MOST of the family practice dentista, whom you get to know, will be honest with youand tell you if there is a problem. You've been gping to them for years and they dont want negative word of mouth when they are that small to begin nwith. Dr hayescano is tryong to scare you back to aspen dental. Dont fall for it. Get your teeth cleaned, floss as, uch as possible the correct way, brush twice a day nut not to hard, in circles. Chew some gumm here and again, use listerine. Pay attentionto the back side of your bottom front teeth, plaque builds up there. Bleeding gums may just mean you brushed to hard and for to long. Watch out for receeding gum lines. Keep posting about this periodontal disease epidemic and lets investigate and shut these crooks down if they are up to no good. Lets start with taking dr hayscano out!
Sorry for the typo-s. I'm typing on an Ipad. I cancelled my appt with them to do more research on this company. Right now i cant trust them. Dr hayesCano really convinced me to cancel. I have NEVER heard so much negativity towards a demtal company!
C'mon @hayscano. Do you really expect someone to believe that you would send a patient to any competitor for more extensive treatment and then they come back to you for the rest? Why would any dentist do that?
Aspen is a money making machine. Patient care is not at the top of the list. It's all about the money.
Unfortunately, what occurs here is the same thing that occurs at hospitals and why many of your hospitals have constant lawsuits against them. Patients through human nature and emotion-based decision making self-diagnose. Therefore, when the practice offers a solution that could take care of their needs in the long-term (even if more expensive) the patient gets all upset and threatens lawsuits.
Grow up people. I have been a patient at Aspen Dental in Biddeford for a couple years now and they have done wonderful with me. Not only that but I recommended my wife to have denture care there recently and she was pleased. People go in with a predetermined idea of what they need and it's not always the case. That's what I gather from these ridiculous complaints anyway.
I agree with Dave the Truth-Bringer. I had the same Aspen Dental experience as many above. I doubt Dr. HayesCano is using their real name - probably the same dentist that "serviced" bosslady2898. Frightening that someone that has trained years to help people on a medical level would actually take you (and many hundreds of other people) for a ride. Talk about ethics!
Aspen Dental is trying to get money from insurance for a partial that I don’t even have . I all the insurance co. And told them not to pay cause I don’t have one. What a scam.