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Aspen Dental

Aspen Dental review: overcharge, unnecessary extractions 7

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10:58 am EDT
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Do NOT go! I went to Aspen Dental in Wausau, WI due to there advertising prices for dentures. I have had dentures for several years due to an accident and all I needed was to have a tooth on my denture reattached. I waited over an half an hour for my appointment. At first everything seemed on the up and up. All of the staff seemed very professional, the entire visit from the xrays to the exam was smoothly executed. I was then taken to the office manager where I was told I had SIGNIFICANT dental issues, I NEEDED 2 teeth extracted IMMEDIATELY (I didn't even have a toothache!) and I had to pay $1799 UP FRONT! I have dental insurance but they don't take the insurance that the state of Wisconsin uses for it's employees!? I have the recommended procedure. I ask to take the teeth home that they extracted but they said I couldn't due to the large abcesses attached to the teeth (couldn't see any abcesses just what looked 1 molar cut in half). I was immediatley fitted with a partial that caused me undue agony, it was so ill fitted that I couldn't swallow, eat or talk. I finally took them out and my extreme discomfort abated almost instantly. After adjustments I was able to talk in a garbled manner and very gingerly eat. 3 weeks after the partial was made I was eating a torn off piece of fresh bread and the partial broke in half! I took it back in for repair when I had my next adjustment appointment and cleaning. Like all of the other appointments, they were very late in getting to me. This time it was over an hour. The office manager had to talk to me first and told me that I had to pay for my cleaning up front. I was appalled! I had asked repeatedly if this was included in the $1799 I had prepaid when the cleaning appointment was made. I was assured that it was. Now I was supposed to pay over a $200 for a cleaning? They told me that it was so costly because I had a bacterial infection that was caused my lack of flossing! I was incredulous! I floss obsessively! My companaions all tease me about it! I refused the cleaning. I asked that they repair my partial as I was emceeing a major fundraiser that weekend and did not want to do it with missing teeth. This was a Wednesday. Due to their inhouse lab the repair would be completed the next day and delivered to me via UPS, ensuring that I would have the partial by Friday. Well, I didn't have the partial by Friday, or the next Friday or the next Friday! In the meantime I lose the emcee job due to my lack of teeth, my supervisor took my off of my waitressing nights due to my lack of teeth. I lost over $1, 000 of income. The office manager told me that the assistant had mailed, via the US Postal Service, the partial to their corporate office in Syracuse, NY - clear across the country beacause it would be less expensive for Syracuse to mail it to me. The address that I gave for the UPS delivery is not a USPS address therefore I would not get the package as it would be returned as undeliverable. I spoke to the postmaster regarding the situation and was assured that she would watch for a package with my name on it (it is a very small post office) and would notify me upon it's arrival. I never got a call from the Post Office but finally got a call from Aspen Dental in Wausau that they had received the returned package and they delivered it overnight to me. When I received the package I understood the problem. They had not put a name on the package, the office manager did not think this was a problem. I was finally able to get Aspen to refund 7/8th of the money I had paid but they would only refund it to a credit card. Now I owe my dental insurance $984 and can not have any work done until this is repaid. I went in to get a tooth reattched to my denture, lost teeth, got a partial that I can not eat with, owe my insurance company money and still do not have my tooth reattched to my denture. DO NOT GO THERE!

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nanc grochmal
, US
Jul 23, 2015 4:51 pm EDT

i have been going to dentists every six months for checkups, ex rays etc. my whole life. I'm 50ish. I decided to try Aspen. After my initial visit which was 2hr and 10 min. I was told that they would START replacing my bad fillings with four the next visit and more on future visits. I left immediately and made an appt with a real dentist office. After my initial exam I asked if I had any bad fillings. Nope! My teeth and fillings are in great shape. I told the real dentist about my Aspen visit and he wasn't surprised. They offer free ex Rays for first visit and then add on all kinds of unnecessary procedures to make money. I feel bad for those who believe their lies. Please get a second opinion! It can save you thousands of dollars and unnecessary pain.

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aspendentalsuck
, US
Mar 11, 2013 12:39 am EDT

Paid amost $6, 000 for the their dental plan and all they did was taking out four of my wisdom teeth, 3 weird fillings and cleaning. What I was pissed is that all that are under the dental plan and I still have to pay more and more. The financial crisis that i been through, just unbelievable. Most of me teeths still hurts and now I have to wait a few more years before, I can go back to get them fixed.

State: Wisconsin
City: Sheboygan

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smithanonymous69
Wausau, US
Feb 20, 2012 3:09 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

My problem with them was not the staff, but the wait time. My wife and I signed up as new patients there. Figured we would give them the "three strikes" rule. Yep, they struck out. Fastest time I got in after my scheduled appointment was 30 minutes. The previous two visits were 90 minutes over our scheduled appointment time. The problem appears to be that the office is over-booked for time slots. Quality vs quantity of care. Oh well, that's what I love about having a choice with healthcare...if I don't like it, time to go somewhere else. Wait until Obamacare takes over. You think things are bad now, just wait.

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marble412
Rothschild, US
Jun 20, 2011 7:41 am EDT

For the allie of aspen dental everything you said is a big lie and you know it... check out all of the complaint boards on many websites... my new dentist and organization had NO COMPLAINTS. The day this all happened to my I checked the BBB for the Aspen Dental is Wausau, WI and there were 707 complaints in the 2 years open... the next day it was 708... people are getting wise to the scams.

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marble412
Rothschild, US
Jun 20, 2011 7:37 am EDT

ASPEN DENTAL is terrible. It is like the "Cost Cutters" of dentistry... with high costs. They told me I needed 12 teeth extracted, fillings and crowns. So, of course I believed them because I am not sure about dental procedures - I am not a dentist of course. I know I need a lot of work on my failing teeth but because of what they told me... I went for a second opinion after - wish I did that prior to Aspen starting to work on my teeth! Anyway, the day I went in for my extractions and prior at other appts with Aspen I told them I have high anxiety and even have meds for it. So I was soooo scared. I didn't take my anxiety meds because I wasn't sure I could with the numbing meds. They never told me I could or couldn't. During the extractions, the first wisdom tooth went well - didn't feel a thing. Then the dentist tried several times to take out a tooth and it didn't come out (later said after 3 times to leave it for the surgeon). So started then on the other two... the numbing was wearing off and I kept telling them (dentist and the assistant) it hurt and I could feel everything... they didn't listen and kept going. So, I told them I had to stop for a moment because I was having a panice attack it hurt so bad... the doc stormed out of the room and a bit later the assistant came back and said I need to see their oral surgeon the following week (whole other issue) where they could sedate me. So, they told me they would finish what they started and nothing else... still hurt but they kept going. They sent me home telling me they had no idea what I will owe etc... anyway went home with no antibiotics and a lot of bleeding. Next day I woke up sick and felt so hot... so I called another dentist office local in the Wausau area. I wanted a second opinion because I was in such pain and could barely even stand up... The dentist told me that I had a severe infection in the extraction areas - and I had nothing but water to drink after the extractions and followed the printed paper guidelines so I did not get them infected it came from the actual extractions and no antibiotics... I had a temp of 101... The new dentist took xrays and said he only needs to extract 5 teeth and could save the rest. The Aspen people had it written down to even extract a front tooth #8 - it is even on the documentation - so even if it said it on the paperwork it would have come out and it is a good tooth... which there is nothing wrong with it... he looked at every tooth, told me exactly what I needed and put me on meds. I get to save most of my teeth, no temp as high as it was, I have to have partials but I get the real ones right away - not the temps that go on the roof of the mouth and under the tongue - everything is cheaper and itemized... nice people and he says as soon as I would flinch or say I feel pain he would take care of me. Aspen Dental is fraudulent... they want to take out teeth to make more money. I had pain for 3 days, in my whole body and just broke my fever today after 4 days. Never go there... I have one tooth they took out that may have not had to come out... but I will never know for sure! I cried for the past few days for being so stupid in trusting what I thought was a legitimate organization. How and why do professionals have to take advantage of good people?

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unsatisfied567
Wausau, US
Mar 21, 2011 4:25 pm EDT

The wait time is rediculous. The last couple of times that I have gone in for my appointment I have been taken back to the room fairly quickly, but then I end up sitting in the chair for at least 30 min to an hour before being worked on. When you are missing out on work so that you can go to your appt it's not fun to watch the time tick by knowing that the longer you are gone from work the less your paycheck will be. I also have been less than satisfied with the work that I have had done lately. Their old dentist was a pleasure to work with but he moved on and is now working for Quirt Dental. The Dr they have in now is not very good.

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MARY STRIKE
, US
Jul 14, 2009 10:51 am EDT

WOW!WHAT A STORY!I DO AGREE THAT YOU DO HAVE TO WAIT KIND OF LONG SOMETIMES .BUT EVERYONE THAT I DEALT WITH AT THE RIB MT. OFFICE WAS GREAT.I GET MY NEW PARTIAL THIS FRIDAY AND HOPE I DON'T HAVE A NIGHTMARE STORY TO TELL.WE'LL KEEP IN TOUCH!THIS STORY IS PROBABLY ONE IN A MILLION AND HOPEFULLY THE OFFICE MANAGER MENTIONED WAS REPLACED.HA! MARY STRIKE