Complaint Review: Coast Dental

We signed up for new Dental Insurance at the beginning of the year.  The only provider for us in our area was Coast Dental.   We made appointments ahead of time for an exam and cleaning.  We had just been seen by a dentist in the are about 3.5 months ago and we both checked out with no problems.  We decided to go in early as the new Insurance would pay for it and get on a regular six month checkup and cleaning plan. 

The office was dirty and the equipment was old and dusty.  Some of the personnel barely spoke English and the front desk people were rude and inconsiderate. 

While I was in the waiting room, waiting for my wife, a person stormed out of the office complaining that they would not give him a cleaning unless he agreed to an expensive scaling proceedure first.  I didn't think much of the situation  until my wife came out.   The Dentist told my wife her teeth were in great shape but could benefit from a more extensive cleaning.  She was then transfered to the dental assistant who told her she could not get a regular cleaning unless she paid over $1500 for an extensive scaling proceedure first.  The paperwork stated she had moderate periodental disease but the Dentist never told this to my wife during the exam.  I would also point out that my wife has seen a Dentist regularly twice a year her entire life and no Dentist has ever told her that she has Periodontal disease.  Our previous Dentists were very competent and respected Dentists who we trusted.  

I was listening to the personnel in the office while I was in the waiting room tell more than one patient that having mild to moderate periodental disease can cause diabetes, heart attacks, and many more serious conditions; as if reading off of a script trying to scare patients into spending more money for expensive scaling and antibiotic treatments.  When the patients pleaded with them to just give them a regular cleaning, they refused; once again reading from the script.  The office was also covered with pamphlets for various credit options for these procedures. 

We were upset so we called to complain to the dental office when we came home.  The office staff just defended their position and basically told us to "pound sand" (They then read me from the same script I heard many time before)   The person I talked to even had the audacity to tell me that I was being irresponsible for not providing my wife proper treatment.   I asked that the Dentist call me back.  He  called me back in the afternoon but would not budge on his defense that she needed this treatment, even though we told him we had just seen a Dentist a couple of months ago with no issues.   He agreed to me that this could be very subjective in Private Practice.  He refused to discuss it with my wife.  He seemed nervous that I might file a legal greivance against them and was very defensive.

So we believe the scam goes like this: 

#1: You make an appointment for an exam and cleaning where they have no intentions of giving you a cleaning on that visit. 

#2. They take a full set of xrays which they charge to the Insurance Company.  They then ask you to pay for an Oral Cancer screening which has always been part of my regular dentist exams.  We refused these. 

#4.  The Dentist comes in and pokes around on your gums and tells the Dental assistant about all the deep pockets that you have in secret Dental lingo. 

#5.  You ask when can you get your teeth cleaned, they respond that they cannot do the cleaning as it would be far too dangerous with your Periodontal disease.  They then give you the plan to come back and pay for the expensive procedures.  No cleaning if you don't pay up first!

We cancelled our Dental Insurance and will now self Insure instead.  We are also filing complaints with the Insurance Company and with the Florida Department of Commerce and BBB.   We will also get written letters from our previous Dentists for their professional opinion of my wifes gum conditions. 

We believe this Coast Dental office is running a fraudulent scam operation and should be shut down.  It's obvious that they bait people into believing they will get a regular dental  exam and cleaning but you quickly find out that they won't unless you pay for very expensive proceedures which are highly questionable.   

Consumers beware!