When I first went to Aspen Dental, one of the dentists that happen to be there that day looked at my teeth after extensive xrays were taken. Without discussing anything with me, I was taken into an office where a printout was given to me listing all the procedures I needed to have done. It included a Full Mouth Debridement with three mouth rinses, Routine cleaning, Adult Fluoride Treatment, two fillings, and a Crown. This really surprised me, because it had been only 6 months since I had seen my regular dentist who dropped carrying my Cigna Dental Insurance. Needless to say, it all came to hundreds of dollars out of pocket. I asked what the Full Mouth Debridement was. I was told it was a deep cleaning using ultra sound, which was not covered by insurance ($169). The three mouth rinses would also cost me another $93. With the Fluoride treatment, the cleaning would cost me $303 out of pocket, instead of the fully covered cleaning my insurance normally pays for. The Full Mouth Debridement using ultra sound amounted to a regular cleaning by the hygenist (no ultra sound). That was the first $169 rip-off. With the mouth rinses, it came to $303 for my normal free cleaning. When it came time to get a cap on one tooth, the dentist on duty that day only filled the tooth, and said I could have it capped sometime in the future if I wanted to.instead of charging me for a filling that would be completely covered, they billed it as a Core Buildup with Pins, which is something that is part of a capping procedure if I decided to have it done. The dentist got $249 for that, of which I had to pay $61. So, basically, I got ripped off for about $365 for something that should have been completely covered, based on what they really did. This amounted to nothing but "creative billing". I complained about the charges, but they would not back down. I had to pay for each procedure at the time of service. I can see why. They have my money and will not give it back. The $40 charge for the Adult Fluoride would have been covered, but they charged me anyway without sending the claim to my insurance company. To me, this is a fraud, and a scam.
The people were real nasty when I questioned their billing practices. I have never seen anything like this in my life. My only advice is if you are looking for a dentist, DO NOT GO TO ASPEN. It will be a big mistake. Just look at the other posts if there is any doubt in your mind.
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