Aside from their willingness to explore dark, moist, cavernous spaces, a propensity proposed by The Redhead as common to dentists and gynecologists, dentists are worth including in the health care morass we’ve expounded upon here. So, I’ll now give you a dentist story or two.
But first, let me say that I don’t have dental insurance, so my relationships with dentists are not complicated by third-party payers. I’m the guy writing the checks and making the decisions.
My periodontist, a real dick, is all about money. Now, you know that the periodontist thing is a yuppie phenomenon—we aging Baby Boomers, if we’re of any means at all, are supposed to have both a G.P. dentist and a periodontist. So, it’s a scam. It’s all about generating revenue by charging a fortune for semi-annual cleaning and inspection, while the G.P. dentist takes care of cleaning and X-rays two more times a year. In any case, I suspect that we’d be just as well off with the old gold standard of dental cleaning and check-ups every six months—period—but I digress.
Yes, my periodontist is a real dick. Two times in the past two years he’s missed appointments. Normally, that wouldn’t bother me because he’s such a dick, and the hygienist is very nice. However, the dick charges his normal fee when he doesn’t show up, and that’s what sticks in my craw. I was supposed to be getting a cleaning and an inspection by a periodontist, for which I’m paying over $100, and all I got those two times was the cleaning. The high-priced doc didn’t show up for his cursory inspection, which normally takes all of 30 seconds. So why the hell is he charging the full fare? Because the doc is a dick.
I even asked his people when they called me to tell me that he wouldn’t be there if his not being there would mean that I would get an appropriate discount. “We don’t do that,” said the receptionist. Of course they don’t do that! Why? Because not only is my periodontist a dick, but also he is a money grubbing dork.
Regarding my most recent appointment, which was to have been about seven weeks ago, I got a call three days in advance saying that my appointment would have to be moved because the hygienist wouldn’t be there that day. Why the hell not just close down the operation completely? So, anyway, in their desire to maximize revenue, they’ve been calling me every couple of weeks saying that they can squeeze me in. “Can you make it at 8:30 AM tomorrow?” Hell no, I can’t. Next time, it’s, “Can you make it at 1:30 PM tomorrow?” Hell no, I can’t. Give me more notice, won’t you? I made my appointment six months in advance. YOU cancelled it. Now, you’re wanting to get me in there on one day’s notice? The response was comical: “We’re trying hard to accommodate you.” To accommodate ME? By disrupting my schedule on short notice? My ass! You’re trying hard to accommodate ol’ doc’s revenue maximization program. I’m not playing that game.
This, of course, is typical of the arrogance one encounters in the dehumanizing health care industry. To reiterate what I’ve said here before, you wouldn’t take this kind of crap from your accountant, your lawyer, or your landscaper. You’re paying them all a fee for services, so they treat you well because you’re their client or their customer. Why the hell does being a patient, as opposed to being a client or a customer, reverse the relationship between service provider and customer, such that the paying patient gets pushed around by the money-grubbing service provider? “My money, my deal” applies everywhere else, but not in the medical arena. Would your gardener raise his rates without discussing the new rates and the reason for the increase with you? Would your accountant? Hell, no—if they were good businesspeople, they would never do that, or they would risk losing you as a customer. On the other hand, my periodontist, who is a dick, raises his fees every year but neither he nor his people make any mention of it. I get the bill—that’s the only “notice” I receive telling me that the fees have increased. And another thing—would your lawyer or your accountant require that you pay the bill on the way out of the office? Hell, no! However, not only is this standard behavior in the medical professions, but also more and more practices are collecting in full on the way in! So much for the trust relationship. Trust is expected, but not given. One-way trust. Why the hell do they think they can get away with this arrogant bullshit?
OK, so speaking of revenue, recall that when I was checking out physicians, I looked at the value of their houses to determine whether they were more interested in making money and hanging out at the club than treating patients. I decided to do the same for my periodontist, who is a dick. It was no surprise that his house is valued right around a cool million. My guess is that he missed my appointments to plan the new north wing or something. All big houses should have names. Let’s call this one Chateau le Dicque.
Let’s contrast my periodontist, who is a money-grubbing dick, with my G.P. dentist, who is a nice guy. My G.P. dentist’s people tell me that if the dentist is not there, they never charge for his services. “That wouldn’t be ethical!” said the hygienist. Out of the mouths of babes—and she is a babe. The last time I went to see the dentist on short notice because a tooth was bothering me, not only did his staff accommodate me with a timely appointment, but also the doc spent a fair amount of time with me discussing the situation and telling me that it would probably resolve on its own—which it did. And when I was done, I went to the front desk and asked how much I owed. I almost wasn’t surprised that the answer was, “Nothing at all this time.” Where do you get something for nothing these days in the allied health care industries? At my dentist’s office and damn few other places. That’s because my G.P. dentist is a nice guy. He is fair, he is competent, and he is a nice guy. What more could I ask?
So, it was no surprise that upon checking my dentist’s property value, I found he was living relatively modestly, in a house worth about $380,000. I also found that he had substantial other real estate investments in the area, including his office building, that came to a couple of million bucks. Good for him. Why? Because he’s a nice guy.
And my periodontist is a dick.
Tags: dentist, Health Care, Periodontist, scam
I hate going to the dentist just as everyone does. But I’m lucky to have a good one who is a decent guy. I once had a chucklehead tell me that I should have all my silver fillings removed so that I wouldn’t become “psychotic.” Just who was crazy?????
Yeah, Preston, nobody likes going to the dentist, particularly when one’s dentist treats one’s wallet the way one’s proctologist treats his rectum. But seriously, though, perhaps it’s the mercury in my old fillings that is responsible for my perversion.
I couldn’t agree more about doctors and dentists who raise their rates without giving notice. But there’s something else that they do which I find rather shocking in its disrespect for patients. Many doctors now ask you to make your co-pay at the beginning of the visit, not the end! Message? Making money is more important than your health. It’s so incredibly cynical.
I mentioned that practice of collecting money before rendering services in my rant, too. It is not only the money aspect that bothers me. It is the distrust. My credit score is over 800, yet I have no credit at my medical providers’ offices. What’s up with that? When I went to the ER with terminal chigger bites last summer, I was accosted by a broad from patient accounts while still in the examining room (”curtain,” as they’re called), asking me how I was going to handle my co-pay of $100. I handed her two fifties and she looked at me quizzically, as if nobody ever gave her any money before. But I digress. Perhaps a hospital, where they don’t know me from Adam, is one thing, but whither the personal relationship with my family physician or my periodicktist (whom I’ve been seeing for 18 years)? Where have the trust and the compassion gone?
I’ve worked as a dental assistant for over ten years now. I’ve also worked the front desk. I have come to the conclusion that the majority of dentists are greedy and unethical. I have worked for many of them. And yes they make alot of money but they are very stingy with it. They do not pay well and most of them treat their assistants like shit. I’m convinced that it time for a career change.
Thanks for bringing an “inside” perspective to this discussion, Sally. I’m wondering whether all this greediness is a product of our current times. Fortunately, there are still examples of compassionate dentist such as my G.P. His staff all love him; I would suspect that he takes good care of them. My late uncle was a dentist, and he would have given his eye teeth (pun intended) for his small staff. His receptionist was with him for 40-some years. I’m happy that there are counterexamples, but I am sad that your experience suggests that those counterexamples are almost impossible to find these days. Although I hope you can find a genial practice that will reward you appropriately for your skills and loyalty, recognizing that you might not do so, I wish you well in whichever new career path you choose.
[...] My own words inspired me to take action on the periodontist issue I wrote so unglowingly about last week. The periodontist is history. [...]
Hey, lets not forget the cheap bastard dentist who farms his crowns and bribges to China and Mexico for $25. each crown! He still charges his patients upwards of $1000. each! They ARE truly a bunch of greedy fucks!!! P.S, they take full credit for a beautiful job done by another party( HIS LABORATORY!), to whom he probably hasent paid in the last 3 months!
Rich, you get the Turkey Award for Promptness in Responding to a Post. You’re the unequivocal champ. Thanks for reviving the thread and for your opinion, with which I happen to agree.
—TNT
I don’t think I will ever see a as big of greedy piece of shit then this last Dentist I fired. This asshole ripped me off so bad that I threatened to sue, build a website devoted to how he screwed me, and report him and the dental corporation he was a member with, to the Attorney General of my State. I am now awaiting a response from them (it’s only been a week) I was told by a dentist I now have (actually did some work for free when my insurance cap of $1,000.00 ran out) that he at one time worked for a “Dental Corporation”, very much like the one I had a nightmare experience with. He said that what they do is get these young dentists right out of dental school and put the pressure on them to produce a minimum of $2,500.00 a day, or be fired. Since the first dentist I had at that rip-off clinic seemed to be a nice young female, who quit and moved to California (or so I was told by the clinic) that part made perfect sense. The one that took over, and started reaming me good, was this greedy little Rolex-wearing puke named “Dr. Mike”. His real name didn’t sound anything like mike, so this was obviously his “Adopted American name”, I’m not racist by nature, but I have noticed some tendencies. My new dentist also said that he has told others to threaten the corporation or the dentist them self, and sometimes the dental corporation that screwed them will cut them a check for a grand to shut them up. Speaking of Rolex watches, I have never bought one. But I did inherit my Grandfathers beautiful Rolex gold and Stainless steel “Thunderbird” model that he bought in the 80’s. I haven’t worn it in a couple of years (to ostentatious for me now), but I did wear it for almost a decade. In all that time the only people who ever noticed it and made a comment about it were Medical Doctors and Dentists. And ALL the ones I met, which were about a dozen in that span, made a comment pertaining to it (”Hey that’s a nice watch”, was the least of the comments I got). Not even attorneys noticed it or made comments. So this tells you partly why health care in this country blows big-time compared to the rest of the Western World, and also sadly to say, that it probably always will. There is a “Greed Fest” that has been going on since the end of the seventies. Most people are shocked by, but don’t really understand why medical, dental, hospital, drug company’s etc. add nauseam, costs are through the roof. I used to live in Europe, and the people over there think that Americans are A. Stupid as a whole B. Getting dumber by each generation C. definitely pitied D. A good place to go if you really want to get rich quick, and once achieved, get even wealthier. I’ve seen and met some very self made wealthy Europeans, so please don’t give me that “They are taxed to death, and they can’t get rich” B.S. Even in Sweden I met some nouveau riche folks. Once you even visit a true democracy that exists in European countries like the UK, Sweden, France, etc. you can’t help but get a real culture shock, as the paradigm shift sets in that you really are surrounded by happy and caring people. This country is screwed. I have studied the rise and fall of other civilizations, and the overriding and foremost reason that starts the ball rolling is always “Unbridled Greed”.
For the whole 10 years I have worked as a dental hygienist, in the US and abroad, I realized that dentists are all mostly alike! Somehow they are this breed of greedy, cheap, and unethical (whethere to patients or to their employees). Sally is absolutely right, they treat their employees like shit. They have this God syndrome, and they think they don’t have to pay you because somehow they probably think your pocket is as deep as theirs (worse abroad, I haven’t been paid for 2 months!).
I am happy to be served by the exception to your sad tale. My GP dentist is kindhearted and his staff loves him. They’re always smiling. One time I was there, they were particularly happy. I asked why. The receptionist said, “Dr. P is attending a dental conference in Las Vegas in October and he’s taking all of us with him as his guest!”
Recently, two of his employees, a receptionist and a hygienist who had been with him for 20 years both became seriously ill, the former requiring open heart surgery and the latter, treatment for lymphoma. Dr. P is involved in both their lives, helping their families, and keeping patients involved in their progress.
My cousin was a dentist who served in the Army in World War II and who established a practice in a town in Pennsylvania afterward. His wife was always getting on his case because he refused to charge people he knew were unable to pay. A bygone era? Perhaps, but I want to believe that such people exist today in the profession.
It sucks when your chosen profession becomes unrewarding because of the personalities involved. I hope you can eventually find an exceptional dentist with whom you can be happy.
—TNT
Wow, just as I thought. The “you have periodontal disease” is a crock of crap. Having what I believed to be a full mouth of healthy teeth, apparently appeared to be a mouth full of monsterous bacteria to my dentist. Several hundred dollars later and my teeth seem to be in the same shape they were when I arrived… healthy. It’s sure is quite a profit they are rackin’ in. Great story, glad to know I’m not the only one who has experienced this, but how unfortunate.
You’re lucky you got away with only several hundred bucks down the proverbial drain. For me, it was thousands. I added it up and found that I wound up having paid that periodontist about $10,000 through the years.
I now have a deal with my GP dentist. Clean my teeth four times a year, inspect my mouth twice, x-ray it once a year, and check the periodontal pockets twice a year. If anything requires a periodontist, we’ll discuss a referral (but not to the same one I had before, the dick). When I get a cleaning and don’t see the dentist, I’m charged substantially less. It works for me.
I hope you can find something you can live with.
I have for a long time wondered if the woes of healthcare costs are in any part due to greedy practitioners. Dentists in my opinion are the worst. My son had to have a procedure to expose a tooth for orthodontic work, as well as removing 2 baby teeth. Now, the whole orthodontic work costs about $5000, which seems like a lot, but is a relative bargain. That is the ENTIRE fee, over the course of the 2+ years anticipated. The ORAL SURGEON charged $2100+ for the consultation and procedure under general anesthesia (we deemed necessary because of fears of my son). It took less than an hour from start to finish. The general anesthesia part cost $600. We have no dental insurance, so I tried to negotiate a bit, asking for a break since it was to be paid entirely up front, no billing ins co, etc. They gave us 5% off their full rate! That was it! I suspect an insurance company would compensate a lot less but that is a guess.
Then there are regular dentists. OUrs charges $1500 – $2000 for a crown. Again, no breaks for paying up front. (They used to do that, “a service” they claimed; no patient has a right to anything; we have to beg!)
It’s not that we don’t know other professionals such as lawyers and accountants also overcharge. But somehow it seems particularly egregious when the going rates (if that is what these examples are) are driven by the inflated amounts they quote to insurance-covered patients. And don’t believe their malpractice insurance rates are so high that they “must” charge these amounts to “cover their costs.” According to one website I checked out, they still cleared PLENTY!
I believe they get away with gouging on prices because they can. True, perhaps they are overworked, and have to do something to limit the number of patients. I just think they should be examining their consciences a little more.