It is time for me to find a new dentist. When I moved to Raleigh 3 years ago, I used Nextdoor to find a dentist who could handle my basic needs- 3-4 cleanings a year, an annual exam and emergency work as needed with no high pressure upsell bullshit. The first dentist I found did a decent job with my initial cleaning.
Then, before my next scheduled cleaning, I cracked a tooth. The appointment for this was a disaster. First, the dentist recommended a root canal which would require me seeing a different specialist and then returning to her for a crown. When I asked about extraction instead, she said she could do that for a nominal fee. Then, she reviewed my X-rays and “discovered” several thousand dollars of additional work she said I needed to have.
She gave me the number of an endodontist to schedule a root canal evaluation. A few days later, I called to setup an appointment with her for the extraction instead. When the office returned my call, they said they could not do the extraction. They then contacted me multiple times to try to schedule the “additional work”! I finally had to block their number on my phone.
I was in pain and was quite dissatisfied with the hard sell of the “plan” without remedying my immediate complaint. In desperation, I decided to visit the dentist my wife and I used to have when we previously lived in Raleigh. He was further away and I knew he wasn’t the cheapest, but I trusted him.
I ended up needing to see an endodontist for the root canal and the dentist for a crown. It was an expensive, lengthy and complicated process that cost me about $4k.
After this, I decided to stick with the old dentist for my routine cleanings.
It’s now been 3 years. There has been constant turnover of the junior dentists and the hygienists who regularly see me. That’s OK because my needs are generally basic. But the office manager tries to push a full exam and full set of X-rays on me every 6 months. All I want is cleanings 3-4 times a year. I don’t want extra X-rays and I certainly don’t want to pay for needless exams.
When I explain that I have no insurance, she suggests their “plan”. The plan would cost me over $700 a year to get 4 cleanings, plus 2 exams and 2 sets of X-rays. She says “you can sign up for monthly payments” as if that means it isn’t costing me $700!
Well, f*** that. I’m done fighting about this. I’ve spent well over $35K with this dentist over 7 years (my wife required extensive work).
I found a new dentist. His fees are half – yes literally half of what my dentist charges. He has a small family practice where he is the only dentist. He’s 5 minutes from my home instead of 30 minutes away. I haven’t seen him yet, but I’m sure his office is smaller and less “state of the art” that my previous dentist. But I don’t need 3D skull scans, instant veneers and implants.
The lesson for me is that I should review my purchasing loyalty regularly. This is especially important when I am not satisfied with my experience.
Going to my old dentist has been stressful every visit for the past 2 years because of their office manager and policies. I should have switched the first time this happened. I didn’t because I just didn’t want to deal with the experience of finding someone new and evaluating them.
Well, as I say, when the pain becomes great enough, I’ll do something about it.
And I have.
I hope I like my new dentist. But if I don’t, there are dozens of others nearby. Eventually I’ll find someone who’s a good fit.
As for my old dentist – well he f***ed up. I would have stuck with him forever if he didn’t have these silly policies to pad his books. I’m sure I’ll need another $4K root canal and crown someday. He had a customer for life. But now he’s lost him.