I went in to have x-rays and an exam on this date. At this time, I receieved xrays, photographs, a visual oral exam, and an exam to measure gum depth. During the visual exam, no instruments were placed in my mouth except a wrap around my tounge to move it out of the way.
After my exam, I was taken into a seperate room where two office assistants tried to convince me that I had 8 cavities (A subsequent visit with a different dentist revealed that I had ZERO cavities!) and led me to believe that all of them must be corrected within the year. No recommendation was made by Dr. Gilbert as to which should be corrected first - only after I continued asking questions (approximately 30 minutes) did the assistant, Tina, finally ask the dentist.
I believe this was an attempt to persuade me to have all 8 filled, immediately. After making an appointment to fill 3 of the cavities (appointment date 1/23), I was asked to sign a form that required me to pay for 1/3 of the appointment, in advance. Having never had any dental work done prior to this occassion, I signed the form.
After the appointment, I started questioning the integrity of my appointment. I was unable to visually see any of the "cavities" on the photos they took of my mouth. Since I could not see them, and the dentist did not actually use any instruments in my mouth to determine that I had cavities, I started to question how he knew they were there. I called my previous dentist's office in Toledo, OH to ask them if it was possible to go from 0 cavities to 8 cavities in a matter of months.
When I called, they informed me that they had a "watch" on 3 teeth, but relented that it was unlikely that I would have developed 5 more cavities in that short period of time.
After speaking with more people about the practices of the office (ie, the dentist not recommending or prioritizing treatment, the 1/3 deposit prior to treatment, and the suspicious amount of cavities), I found two other young people who use/used him as a dentist. Both individuals told me that, they too, were told that they needed extensive dental work done. I also contacted Delta Dental to ask questions; the representative also relented that the events sounded suspicious.
I began to feel uncomfortable with the situation and called to cancel my appointment. At that time, they informed me they would not refund the 1/3 deposit ($90). I decided to keep the appointment, but only have $90 worth of dental work completed, so I would not lose the money.
At this time, I asked a coworker to call Bright Star Dental on my behalf and ask that the form regarding the deposit be faxed to her, so I could re-read the policy that I signed. Without noting my records or contacting me, Tina faxed forms containing my social security number, health information, and credit card information to my coworker on 1/19.
I was shocked that his information was not blacked out and that I was not contacted to confirm the person's identity. I believe this to be a highly immoral and irresponsible action.
Date: 1/23
Event: Appointment for a filling
The office made one attempt to contact me while I was at work the previous day to confirm my appointment (there was no mention of actually cancelling the appointment). I received this message at approximately 10:00 am on 1/23 for a 1:00 appointment and did not return the call, since I planned on keeping the appointment. When I went into the office, I was informed that they had cancelled my appointment. They told me that they contacted me several times (they contacted me ONCE at 8:02 am on 1/22) and blamed me for not being able to keep the appointment. I was unable to return the call because I was at work until after their office closed.
At this point, I asked them to refund the deposit since they were unable to keep my appointment (NOTE: the 1/3 deposit is to "reserve an appointment for restorative or periodontal treatment". Since they were the ones that cancelled the appointment, which I PAID to reserve, it seems that I am then entitled to a refund of the deposit.). I was told that there are no exceptions to the policy; at this time I asked to speak with the office manager (I did not get her name). I expressed my concerns to the office manager.
She then began patronizing me (ie "You're an adult, right? You signed a form and can make your own decisions..."). I then expressed my concerns regarding the release of my credit card information, health information, and social security number. I asked the office manager if she knew the name of the person she faxed the forms to, or who my coworker worked for, and she was unable to tell me. It was clear that she had no idea who she had faxed the forms to. She then asked me if she should not release my forms to anyone (I believe this is a standard stipulation of privacy), to which my overwhelming answer was yes.
At this point, she asked if I wanted to reschedule my appointment. I told her no, but that I did not want to lose the $90. She then gave me $90 worth of product (an electric toothbrush). I also asked that she provide me with the form that had my credit card information on it, which she did provide.
I strongly believe this dental provider is trying to persuade patients to get unnecessary dental work in order to make more money.in short, they are defrauding the patients, the insurance company, and the employers who pays for the dental plans. On top of this, they clearly violated privacy policies by providing health information, social security information, and credit card information to unknown sources.
This has been one of the most frustrating experiences I have ever been through. I hope that this will prevent further patients from going through this as well.
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