Western Dental. Be careful.

[Auggie]

Incredibly well-trained on the up-sell and the hard-sell and how to capitalize on your weaknessess.

If you're unsure about the need for a procedure they recommend or if a price sounds too high, get a second opinion! Don't fall for bargain or cash deal offers either -- some of their procedures are priced so high that even the deals are rip-offs. Get the hell out of there and find another dentist.

They've been on a buying binge in California, snapping up smaller franchises. You're cattle to them.

[wasupaloopa]

1. I use to go there 3 years ago but retired

and stopped.

This week they send me a text saying my appointment is scheduled for this week.

Then they leave a voice mail saying the same thing.

I called and told them that I wouldn’t be going there and they wanted to reschedule.

I told them I am never going there and to take me off their list.

They said that might take a few days and that I might get another call.

[mitch96]

2. In my neighborhood, they just flat out lie and your on the hook for the bill

The scam works like this. First off the dentists work for the company. They are just employees. You go in for the evaluation and the dentist says this that and the other thing. Usually he prescribes more work to be done than necessary. You ask about price and they send you to the associate in charge of that. He says the procedures will cost XYZ "but your insurance covers 75 to 80%.. Whew that does not sound to bad. You sign the paperwork and get the work done. What you did not see was the disclaimer on the bottom of the contract that says YOU are responsible for any cost not covered by insurance. You blindly sign the contract b/c the associate TOLD you insurance covered it.
After all is said and done your insurance only covers 20-25% of the bill and you are on the hook for the balance... GOT YA! A variation of the bait and switch
Always get verification of coverage from your insurance FIRST before any work is done..
m

[CountAllVotes]

3. I recommend a 2nd opinion

Always, esp. if they are telling you that you need thousands of $$$ of work done!

[Merlot]

4. I had a similar experience at the UCLA Dental School

I went in for one proceedure and they said I didn't need that proceedure, I needed another proceedure. 5 weeks later an infection breaks out in that tooth, and they said "on to plan B' which was the proceedure I had originally requested.

Unfortunatly I spent my budget on their botched proceedure, and couldn't afford the second proceedure (the one I should have had in the begining) they were now belatedly prescribing. Decided not to give them any more money and went to a different dentist who corrected their mistake.

I now have a nice empty hole in my jaw to remind me just what a rip off UCLA Dental School is.