Complaint Review: Coast Dental

Scheduled appointment to get my teeth cleaned.  I have great dental insurance that I pay about $700 a year for family coverage.  Unfortunately they have a monopoly and are the only dentist office in town that takes dental insurance.

As soon as I sat down, they put a document in my lap saying that I was going to be charged $55.00 beyond what my insurance pays. $5 for office visit and $50 for oral cancer screening.  Playing this off as if it is a typical/required service.  They haven't even looked in my mouth yet!  I am a non-smoker, nor do I use tobacco.  I am at very low risk for oral cancer.  I refused this added service.  They were very rude.  They told me I had to sign a document stating that I refused the service, which I did.

Then they took a bunch of xrays and looked at my teeth and gums calling out numbers for each tooth.  I once again told them that all I wanted was a regular teeth cleaning.

Then finally the dentist came in.  The first thing she asked was where I worked (I guess she was sizing me up for how much she would try to scam me out of).   She looked in my mouth and said that I needed deep cleaning and it would cost $98 out of pocket for me.  I told her that all I wanted was the regular dental cleaning that was free with my insurance.  She said that she would not allow that because she would be liable and her license would be at risk.  I told her that I would sign whatever release/waiver that they needed, just as I had done on the cancer screening that I had refused that all I wanted done was a regular dental cleaning.  She refused.  So now I've got $700 a year dental insurance and I can't even get my teeth cleaned.  My teeth are fine.

I contacted my dental insurance company and they told me that if I could find another dentist in town that is not a provider on my plan that I would have to pay the full amount out of my pocket and then submit the bill to the insurance company as a grievance.  I have an appointment with a dentist for March 1 to get this done.  It only cost $69 for the cleaning.  I think I will not take out the dental insurance in the future.

Also....I asked the dentist how I was better off in her opinion by not getting my teeth cleaned at all over having the regular cleaning.  She didn't have an answer, because there isn't one.  She is unprofessional and more interested in padding her wallet than to providing me the dental services that I deserved.  I called them back and told them that I felt that I was being discriminated against by them because they were not providing me a service that they offer.

Anyway....Stay away from Coast Dental in Lake City....You will be glad that you did.