Before I made an appointment, I called and asked if they took my insurance and they said they did. I got a good cleaning but then my 45 minute appointment drug on into 2 hours before I finally had to walk out just to leave (I was late for work by now). Later they told me I was wrong to have left without paying my bill; guess they didn't really want to bill my insurance after all. The extra time I spent was with a dental hygienist (not Dentist Karen) in an office where, rather than showing me a diagram of my mouth, with what needed to be done laid out, and what it would cost, she just kept trying to book my next appointment, truly over and over and over that's all she did...I needed to see some paperwork first! So that's why I left to go get in late to my new job (yikes!). During my 5 minute exam, the dentist did mention that I needed a lot of work, and no cavity was too small to put porcelain in (even though I'd rather have white fillings and save the porcelain for necessary crowns) because that's what she went to a special school for, to learn porcelain. So I assume I was to help pay off her school loans or something. I also knew already that I had a cavity on the gum line of one of my teeth, and on a followup phone call, I was told that I'd soon need a root canal there if I didn't book an appointment and come in soon. Just funny though that I have NO pain there, even now. Well she charged an okay amount for my cleaning/exam, but my insurance hardly paid anything. I saw no point in paying the rest since I wasn't going to be able to get my needed work done there or continue to have bi-annual cleanings/exams there. But I started getting bills, with interest, and notes to pay, etc. When I called and asked why they had told me they took my insurance when my insurance didn't pay very much, they said that they take ALL insurance, and that I had asked the wrong question to begin with. They said I should have asked instead if they are a preferred provider with my insurance, or better yet have called my insurance to ask what they thought they'd pay. When I said I didn't feel the need to pay they said I had signed a paper promising to pay and started sending me bills threatening to send me to a collection agency. This went on for over 2 years and never once were they professional in the least. So in the end I paid. But at least I'm glad I never got any work done there besides 1 cleaning. Maybe Karen does good work, I don't know. But I don't think I could have afford it (all that porcelain everywhere and extra root canals). Maybe if I had amazing insurance that actually covered her, or if I was rich and had nothing better to do with my money. BTW, the marble in the waiting room is nice, the free bottled water is great, the "spa" hand wax wrap is nice. But I for one, would rather pay the dentist to do good work on my teeth, and pay a "spa" for spa stuff, and pay no one for marble foyers.
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