Aspen Dental review: Payment required to make an appointment.

On my first trip to Aspen Dental, Hermitage Tn, I accompanied my teen son for a regular check up. We spent probably 20 minutes doing xrays, 5 minutes with a dentist, 5 minutes with a hygienist and an hour sitting waiting. Zero cavities found by the dentist and a ‘you should probably come back for a cleaning' from the hygienist, we were dumped back into an internal waiting room. After 15 minutes I flag someone down who says I'm waiting for a consult. 10 more minutes I find out the other guy sitting there had been waiting for his consult since BEFORE we even saw the dentist and hygienist, I just walked out and told
The desk girls it was ridiculous and I'm not waiting anymore.

Second trip with teen 17yr old daughter. I hand her off for X-rays and head to work. She comes by after with a print out for a NOT (free) annual cleaning from insurance saying it's deep cleaning for irritated gums, and a ‘necessary' script for antibiotics to
Take before the cleaning. The cleaning is goin to be $225. I call my insurance about the codes wanting to just have them do a normal regular cleaning. Already thinking it's hogwash. Insurance seems a little befuddled about the coding but says deep cleaning is normally hundreds per quadrant so I feel grateful and she goes for the cleaning. I sign in and pay upfront for the cleaning and go to work. After she calls me and I'm on speaker with the office lady. Daughter is trying to schedule the cavity filling and they require I pay them $400 upfront over the phone to even schedule it. And also my daughter tells me they gave her a toothbrush and it's $200. So I tell girl on the phone to keep their toothbrush and I'll check with my insurance company if it's common practice for me to have to pay to make an appointment. Which of course the insurance company says is absolutely not common practice nor oK when I speak to them on the phone. They also asked that I please call back and file a report with them about Aspen because the practices seem off.

Relative to many other stories I've heard and read, I feel lucky I got out when I did. Switched to another dental office that takes our insurance and have never had to pay to make appointments nor get $200 toothbrushes added to the bill without discussion or advisement of cost.