Avoid Getting Ripped off by Your Dentist!!!

It is a known fact that visiting a dentist twice in a year is a must to maintain dental health. While the only procedure you may need every year is a basic cleaning, but dentists do not earn much from such basic procedures. It is not uncommon nowadays for few practices to stoop down to unethical means and convince you to undergo procedures you may not need.

Some dentists come up with “creative diagnosis” which requires you to spend thousands of dollars for treatment. Receiving different diagnosis for the same symptom is something you will hear on a regular basis. The sad part is that dentists who come up with such creative diagnosis are targeting even children which is quite alarming.

As per an in-depth research of the U.S. dentistry, it is easy to take advantage of people and make more profit margins in this field when compared to other medical fields, especially for a dentist who practices alone and there is no one who is looking over. As per Dr.Navid Rahmani– the best rated dental implant specialist of NYC, the priority of any dentist should be to save your teeth and not carry out an unnecessary dental procedure.

So, how will you spot a fraudulent dentist? Following are some warning signs you need to be wary of which could indicate that your dentist is ripping you off.

Many expensive treatments out of the blue:

If you are facing a minor issue and your dentist suggests a vague procedure which requires you to spend thousands of dollars, be alarmed, you might be getting scammed. If there are no major symptoms of a serious dental issue, the treatment should not be complex other than a few exceptions. Also, another red flag could be if a new dentist suggests you a bunch of small procedures such as multiple fillings, replacing your old fillings, unnecessary crowns, root canal which you did not need 6 months ago.

Urgency in getting a procedure done without giving details

If your dentist is insisting on getting a procedure done immediately without giving you much detail, pressurizing you by emphasizing that it is a medical emergency but is vague about the explanation, consider it as a warning that something is not right.

Unnecessary fillings

Diagnosing a cavity is the most common scam in this business. A procedure to do filling does not take much of the dentist’s time and resources but pays reasonably. Though one or two of such fillings cannot be much of a profit, multiple cavity treatments can really be lucrative for the dentist. If you do not have pain or sensitivity in a tooth and the dentist suggests a filling, make sure to get a second consult before you proceed further. Also understand the different types of filling, its benefits and risks and which is right for you.

Too much of Advertising Special Offers and Deals

Renowned dentists warn people from getting scammed by such special offers. Often practices advertise free cleaning and dental check-up just to bring more patients to their clinic. Few of these practices genuinely follow-up with the patients and suggest treatment if only required but few practices use such deals as a ploy to get patients to whom they can sell their expensive treatments even if it is not required. So, you think you are getting a free cleaning and end up paying thousands of dollars for unnecessary treatments.

The dentist discourages you from taking a second opinion:

If the diagnosis made by a dentist is correct, he/she will not be hesitant if you feel the need to get a second opinion. If you observe your dentist discouraging you for it, then definitely he/she has something to hide.

Your Instincts indicate something is off:

If your dentist is suggesting an expensive treatment and you are not 100% convinced, it is better not to go ahead with it without taking a second opinion. In some cases, you might try to convince yourself to listen to the dentist even when you feel something is off, believe your instincts as most of the time it is right.

It is not at all wrong to be choosy when it comes to picking the right dentist. It is highly advised to get recommendations from dental forums, your family or health professionals before you choose to go to a dentist or a Calgary orthodontist. The right dentist understands and maximizes your oral health, in-turn improving your quality of life.