a little frustrated after recent dental appointment

[eac]

First my appointment took nearly two hours to complete examination. then when they were done they threw so much information at me i felt overwhelmed by it all. I knew my teeth were in bad shape, but I definitely didn't think they were that bad that I was in the threat of losing them. After I spoke with the dentist, I got pulled into another offers to discuss my treatment plan and how much it would cost. They asked if I'd like to set up a payment plan for it and I said yes, then they set me up with a credit card to pay it off. It feels weird that they made me make that decision right there like that, and now I'm worried that I'm committed to this line of credit.

Then when she was getting me to set up my net appointment for the hygiene cleaning for my gums as I have mild gum disease, she tried to pressure me into taking appointments the very next day. She tried to get me to take one for 4pm, to which I told her that wouldn't really be convenient for me as I work 6-2 and live 30 minutes away from both the office and work so it wouldn't really make sense for me to go home and I'd have to waste about 2 hours of time up there until my appointment --and considering the fact that this first appointment ending up taking me two hours i didn't really want to get stuck there until 6 at night when i'd still have to get dinner afterward and be up at 4:30 the next morning so i could leave for work by 5:20. So, I told her it'd be better if we could schedule the appointment two weeks out so I could request the time off (the appointment would actually be two, one day after another.) She agreed and we made the appointment for two weeks out, but now they call me today and say I can't wait that long to do it because I'll run the risk of not being able to save my teeth if I do.

Honestly, she should've given me the options of appointments she had available and then let me talk to my work about arranging the time off but she kept trying to push that 4pm appointment on me after I had already told her that wouldn't work.

I feel like this wasn't a normal experience and now I'm a bit freaked out by the whole credit thing. Can someone give me any advice?

 

[LittleLynnie]

I can't really help you, but that sounds like an incredibly "pushy" dental office. Was it one of the chains?

 

[eac]

@LittleLynnie yes, it was an aspen dental. I’m honestly so freaked that I’m committed to this payment plan that I won’t be able to cancel.

 

[LittleLynnie]

I hope that someone who has used their plan can put your mind at ease. Do you have a copy of the payment plan? Is there something that says that you can't back out? Perhaps there is nothing to worry about until you actually have work done, and then it kicks into effect?

 

[eac]

I hope that someone who has used their plan can put your mind at ease. Do you have a copy of the payment plan? Is there something that says that you can't back out? Perhaps there is nothing to worry about until you actually have work done, and then it kicks into effect?

I’m hoping this will be the case. I’m going to call them once I’m home from work and see if that’s an option and proceed from there.

 

[letsconnect]

Aspen have a terrible reputation for unnecessary dental work, so a second opinion would be a very wise idea. We‘ve got tips for finding a dentist here:

How to find a dentist for nervous patients

Discover how to find a dentist who is good with nervous, scared or phobic patients - and who to avoid!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

How to find a high-quality dentist

How do you know if a dentist really cares about the quality of their work? Here is what to look for and expect from a high-quality dentist.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

And also some info on the finance aspects here:

How to Pay for Dental Treatment in the U.S.

Are you worried about not being able to afford dental treatment you desperately need? This page explains the options available in the US.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[eac]

@letsconnect thank you! Hopefully everything will be fine. I didn’t know they had a reputation for unnecessary dental work, otherwise I wouldn’t have gone there in the first place. My mom has had to have dental work done and she recommended her dentist to me as she says they do good work and all.

 

[eac]

I was able to cancel with aspen dental, and now have an appointment with the dentist my mom recommended in two weeks. Hopefully everything will come out okay and maybe I won’t have to have as much work done as aspen was telling me or maybe it will at least be handled better.

 

[LittleLynnie]

Very happy to hear that. I would expect your experience to be much better this next time.

 

[eac]

@LittleLynnie thanks, I have to call them to request my X-rays to give to the new dentist so they don’t have to take them again so soon.