Aspen Dental review: Unsatisfactory work 165

I too went to Aspen here in Bloomington, IL. They told me that I needed all my teeth pulled and get a denture. Quoted about 4000. I went in for a loose tooth. They pulled the wrong one. When I felt with my tongue thinking that they took the loose one which I pointed out several times they pulled the correct tooth with hardly no novacaine. No aplogies. Just said the tooth they pulled was bad and thought that was the one that was giving me the trouble. That one felt fine. After complaining to their corporate office the dentist called and asked what he could do to make me happy. I told him nothing and said I will not refer anyone to them and as far as I am concerned they are inept etc. Never go there. You may come out with a few less teethe.

I went into the Coraville, IA store at the suggestion of my mother. I had been missing my upper teeth since 2000 due to another screwed up dental situation, but had learned to deal with it. I had quit drinking and ended up with an infection in my back tooth. We just went on the 25th and the did x-rays, and he looked at all my "Rooted" teeth and we started talking about dentures. Not all my teeth are rooted, but after the impressions, molding, etc, Three of my teeth got riped/broke/something... the tooth i was originally having problems turned into a jagged mess, i'm on so many combos of pain pills, and the entire situation felt like a carnie-show when i was there. I wanted the best set up, because i'm tired of not having teeth... But having them do more damage. "That made such a cool sound, " said the dentist as he ripped out the mold. .. I have an appointment for wednesday, but i'm avoiding it at all costs... though i think the infection may just kill me first.

Thanks for posting your experience with Aspen Dental. They are off my list as far as getting first time dentures. Based on all the different people you had to deal with, it sounds more like a training facility than a professional established practice. It's always a Red Flag (warning) when a practice has a large turn over of so called professionals! Thanks again and good luck!

PLEASE HELP us with a class action lawsuit. Your contact info would be helpful which I will forward to the attorney filing the case. Your help would be appreciated. Please forward to reachpartners@verizon.net

Went there with good teeth just have a tiny chip in one of my lowers and wanted it filled. They took 20 x-rays and then told me they are going to fill 2 "cavities" in back that have the slightest black on them barely even noticable and no pain to me whatsoever. So when I objected to the dentist she went on a big spiel about how she "used to be like me" and didnt want to get her teeth worked on because she didnt think she needed it. A real mickey mouser she was. Then they signed me up for a $2600 cleaning regiment with "arestin" antibiotic treatment shots to 20 of my teeth at $74 a tooth. I went home, and called them up the next day and said I was appauled at how they treated me, talking me into stuff I did not even ask for, and that I am most certainly going elsewhere and have the right mind to call the attorney general on these crooks!

I take every opportunity I can to tell people about Aspen. It's always a good feeling with I have prevented someone from going through a horrible experience.and I always encourage people to tell everyone you know.

Former Aspen Scam Artist

Aspen dental companies are ALL RIP OFFS and people do not understand false advertising techniques that go on with this corporate funny farms. They outright lie and steal money from citizens. And the employees even say" GO DO BUISNESS ELSEWHERE"...So what does that tell you. If you want to be scammed ...then go there, but if you want satisfaction then DO NOT GO THERE.. ...JR..Mesa Az.

BTW I went to Periodontist, and the condition is Gingivitis. I do not and have not done drugs. Young does not equal stupid.

Hi Brena, I am glad that you are able to spot periodontal disease when you see it, and that being said, you would not be able to see it with your eyes in my mouth. I have found out that it is Gingivitis, and my impacted wisdom teeth are causing infection therefore those will be pulled within the next few weeks. Thank you for your positive words about "gingivitis can be improved or eliminated".

Zachary, I appreciate you "the internet is not the be-all end-all" theory and input. I imagine if you had no idea of my age, you would not feel the need to preach to me. Now in response to your post, I agree that I should have gotten a second opinion, but when blood is gushing from your mouth on a Friday morning and everything is closed, what would you do? Wait until Monday, or go to the nearest dentist that is accredited and etc. Also, I was and am very concerned with getting my wisdom teeth taken out, thank you for your concern, however, they told me that, that was not causing the bleeding, and they are dentists, therefore am I to believe the dentist's logic or my own? I will not be dealing with them again, and have taken the initiative "being new to the area", to find a new dentist.

I went to Aspen Dental in Amsterdam, NY last September with a cracked tooth and in incredible pain. I asked for a full set of dentures which they refused me because I have a 'good jaw line'. WTF? I have awful teeth, I wanted them pulled and replaced but noooo. When they found out that I qualified for their credit plan they were thrilled and padded the bill with charges I didn't even know until after the fact. I feel so used by this company. Don't ever go there in pain because they really have you by the wallet. Such a scam.

I have gone through all the hell everyone is speaking about. I just received my permanents and they were like horse teeth, they then made me a new one but i believe it's not with the same material. With this set the bite is off and the center of them go to the right of my face. 2 days after receiving them i went back and they had to add gooey stuff in them because they didn't fit and they rock. I just went back yesterday and they grinded them down a little so they werent so heavy but once i mentioned that something is wrong with the bite they kept saying the bite is fine the teeth are even, there is nothing they else they can do about the teeth. In actuality on the left side the plate is just a tad higher than the right making it so i bite in on one side and out on the other side. I am going to file a complaint with the board of dentistry as this is to much for me. They are still loose where i need to use poly grip ( a new plate com'n they should fit), heavy, crooked smile, and bite is off. Oh and I was told i don't like ugly stuff, "most people don't care about what the teeth look like, they just care that they have teeth" that was a quote. I was also told that the amount of times i have gone back and the time they spent with me is costing the company money. My outlook is they should have gotten it right the first time, even the second time around at least somewhere they should have gotten it right. On my last night here is another quote "We are like a target we handle in bulk, if you want good dentures your better off going to someone who specializes in it"

It must be embarassing for Aspen to have to patrol these pages and respond all day long.

That is the first clue that Aspen is a ripoff. There are more websites just like this one where the truth about Aspen comes out.

If these customers take the time to post just think how many others are getting ripped a new one by this company.

Kasey,

Really? Do ya think she should come back? Aspen should be ashamed $700.00 for two fillings? No wonder you want her to come back! Aspen is so greedy.

Aspen Dental is such a joke. The day will come when Aspen follows Allcare and closes!

@ Tina Beal,
I'm very sorry to hear that you weren't happy with your experience. I've passed your comments on to our Patient Satisfaction team, and they will be following up with you directly. Our goal is for every patient to have a positive experience, so again, I apologize that your visit didn’t meet that standard.
Thank you,
Kasey @ Aspen Dental

I agree that Aspen Dental is the worst. I went in for a regular check up and was told that I had two cavities. The first went well, but then the second one was a nightmare. The dentist that they this time didnt know what he was doing. I was in the chair for 2hrs just to get a filling. I had to go back and have it redone and again was in the chair of over an hr. Not only were unable to do the job, they charged me over $700 to do 2 fillings. Also my cleaning was a joke it took the girl 15 mins to clean my teeth and the didn't feel clean or look like they had been cleaned. I will never go back and will not request this place to anyone. I will tell them to stay away.

You say that all as if you were expecting Aspen Dental to do your dental work for free?

now you know why he was behind. gotta train all the new people. Aspen SUCKS.

appointment made at 3:30...arrived in the office around 3:15..i knew they wouldn't take me RIGHT in but i figured at least give or take 20 minutes. NOPE! I FINALLY got in the back office at 645! i waited 3 and a half hours for a scheduled appointment just b/c their oral surgeon was 'behind an hour' the receptionist told me. also very rude..said 'she totally forgot to call me to tell me he was behind & if i wanted i could walk around the shopping plaza and she'd call me' oh gee thanks CAN I? how about getting to my appointment which is why i came? the oral surgeon then took the time to train his assistants & talk with them more about me the worried patient who was getting 5 extractions. he was quizzing them, and asking them what they use this piece for, etc...unprofessional. not to mention for 5 teeth pulled was $1695.00 on their Care Credit (believe me i would have went elsewhere, but i can only afford payments). their office manager is very nice and explained things awesome, im glad i went over everything with him that will be needed done...but i will take my info elsewhere after the 3 hour wait, and poor interaction their staff has.

Dear Maryann,
I'm very sorry to hear about your experience (and for the delay in responding -- I just saw your comment this afternoon). Our goal is for every patient to receive quality service in a welcoming, respectful environment, and I apologize that your visit did not meet those expectations.

A member of our patient satisfaction team is reaching out to you directly today to help resolve this situation. Patient satisfaction can also be reached directly at [protected].

Again, my apologies for your experience. Please let me know if the issue is resolved to your satisfaction.
Kasey

Yes, they wanted to charge you more money. That's how Aspen makes bonus and meets the monthly budget.

Keep reading you're not alone in being scammed.

Allie, I love your form response to all the different patients that have been ripped off. Maybe you could customize the top paragraph. You could still try the worthless patient satisfaction at the bottom.

The doc recommends a new crown thqt you probably don't need. Is that malpractice or a diffence of opinion between doctors? That's how you get around the malpractice claim.

I don't agree with it at all. I'm so happy that you didn't fall for it but a lot of other people do. That's why they keep growning. Another dental company very much like Aspen went out of business. Here's hoping Aspen follows soon.

Nancy Perry, Aspen is prepared for media inquiries. There are signs in the office to tell the staff what to do if contacted my the media.

I don't want to see anybody ripped off by Aspen. That's why I post.

I went today and they refused to do a normal 6 month checkup/cleaning. They insisted on working on my gums even though I do have nice healthy set of teeth and gums. I was shocked they would not perform a rutine cleaning as I have had done for 30+ years.
The only reason I had to go is that I chose the wrong Insurance and my company would not allow me to change until the following year.
I wish there was something I can do to prevent others from there false claims. They actually insisted on a new crown which cost me a small fortune less than 2 years ago.
I'm an optimistic person but this pushed me too far.
If your an employee of this corporation you have the responsibility to report illegal activity such as malpractice.

Cindybug2009,

I'm really sorry to hear about your concerns. . We strive to make the financial process as smooth as possible for every patient and apologize if that hasn’t been your experience.

Would you be willing to talk in greater detail to our Patient Satisfaction group to see whether they can help? This team of specialists is based at our Practice Support Center in Syracuse and is trained to help resolve these types of issues. They can be reached at [protected] or patientservices@aspendental.com

Thanks,
Allie

I have inside information that only an employee would have so...

Aspen is a money making machine. The dentists mostly are right out of school or they are vets that ran their own practices in the ground and now are bringing their lack of talent to Aspen. Every now and then there will be a good dentist in an office but most likely NOT. They do get a percentage of the profit and the doctors can buy into Aspen if they choose. Training is inconsistant and the focus is on money and growth not patient care. Patients are last. It's all about money.

Aspen is by no means cheap and it is not intended to be discount dentistry. I believe that what started as a good idea as been corrupted by greed. Anyone thinking the prices are intended to be lower is mistaken. Never on an advertisement do you see anything about being discount dentistry. Yes they accept almost any insurance because you build a new patient base very quickly and you are able to write expensive treatment plans that may or may not be needed and money comes in.

I am posting in several places to try to help patients that have been screwed over. There are way too many complaints on this post to address any certain one. So, the bottom line is...Yes you are overcharged, no the coupons do not give the discount that you are told you are getting. The company talks about access to care; however, that's really only if you have money or can be financed. The access that's wanted is to your wallet.

If you are going through Aspen right now, ask alot of questions...Do NOT PAY IN ADVANCE...you can pay the day of service. If your treatment plan sounds excessive it's because it is and most likely you are being ripped off. Get a second opinion.

Aspen Dental is on the list of every dental insurance carrier that I have seen. This is because they are the least expensive option. When everything you do as a provider is is at a minimal profit, quality and service will suffer.
Billing disputes will be common because they are always fighting to maintain a sustainable margin. "All Care" Dental (similar to Aspen)just closed all of their Cleveland area ofices becuase they had no money to continue. The option is to find a local Dentist with good recomendations. It won't be as inexpensive on an itemized estimate, but you may get a more conservative solution that costs less. Dental insurance is not for someone with significant restorative needs.

wish you folks would give which Aspen location you had your experience with, that way we'd know more. Thank you

I had an appointment with AspenDental located in Methuen MA .
I was a new patient and I was told about A FREE New Patient Policy. According to that policy I supposed to get the free evaluation and free X-Ray.
Before I left the office I was told that AspenDental won’t send the claim to the insurance for the evaluation one more time.
Two weeks later I got Explanation of Benefits from my insurance with the claim from AspenDental for service provided – ORAL EVALUATION.
I called the office. This time I was told that “free evaluation is for the people who don’t have dental insurance. For people who have insurance it is NOT FREE” I wanted to talk to the manager. I was told the manager was busy and he would give me a call back.
I didn’t get any call back.
I sent complaint to the Patient Satisfaction team. Next day I got a call from them with "Sorry. We will return money to your insurance". Guess what? Nothing happened after that. No actions were taking. That's the worst experience I ever had with the dental offices.

some one should contack the news media about them maybe you all should that would just make there day

well well i just came opon this little page not evening knowing what this was about i was looking up comfilytes dentures, , and well my very first appointment is at 8 tomorrow morning and guess what iam not going, iam so sorry to all of you who got scamed my heart goes out to you all, And i thank you for sharing your bad service with us, hopefully you all can put them out of busines thank you Nancy parry rochester nh

Aspen Dental is the worlds worst company to deal with - I even read online that the complaint department for this company is trained how to handle your complaints! Well I have decided I am done trying reason with these idiots - I am hiring a lawyer and calling the American Dental Association!

I went to Aspen Dental roughly two yrs ago...everyone was very nice but I expect that. Anyhow, I bought new dentures, the most expensive ones they have...around $3000.00 and with that came a 7 yr warranty. I never was truly able to wear the bottoms and everyone said that they were hard to wear so I didnt think anything about not wearing them. Last week, I decided to get them relined, thought maybe that would help..Went there, no problem, the dentist said to me..."you lost weight huh.." And actually I had thru no fault of my own. I have a very bad heart and because of the edema Im on 180 mg of lassix a day, and I dont care who you are ...that much lasix you are gonna lose weight. and its health related! Anyhow I went back the following Tuesday and that was when they said because I lost weight...uhoh, I would have to pay them $207.00 for the reline. I said mine are under warranty...BUT losing weight doesnt count as far as the warranty goes..so consequently I did not get them relined. I was planning on getting some more dental work done right after Christmas and I was gonna get it done at Aspen, but, you dont have to spit on me even once for me to catch on real quick.
I was thinking about calling the main office to complain and it would probably be a waste of time...but at least I would be able to vent...

We have been using Aspen Dental for about 1 year now (cleanings for the kids & 1 extraction). The first visit was disappointing with the whole "check up" deal when we really just needed a cleaning, but whatever. They took the x-rays we came back for the cleaning and all was good.

6 months later I take the kids back for their cleaning and I end up paying $175 out of my pocket. I didn't question it at the time, but later checked with my insurance and the cleanings are suppose to be 100% covered as long as it is 1 every 6 months (which it was). The reason I finally checked on this was because I got a bill in the mail for another $126! The bill was for charges the insurance didn't cover. Funny thing is the bill was 4 days after the appointments, so there was no time to even get the claim to the insurance company. I had called to see what the deal was and sure enough..they didn't have a claim for that date. Then it ends up that I have to request a particular dentist in the office because not all of the dentists are in network.

While it wasn't as traumatic as some of the other cases here it was a huge pain and I will be taking my business someplace else. If I ever have the urge to be treated like cattle going through a feed lot I will be sure to give them a call...with my credit card in hand of course.

Rockford, IL...My wife and I went to aspen for complete dentures for both.
Our nitemare started in February and is still not finished.
Well, I'm finished...I have an upper plate that is too narrow for my mouth! The lower 'matched' the upper which left no room for my tongue...duh?

I won't let them touch me again...going after my money for the lowers.

The wife has uppers making her mouth sore. May be natural with new plates (we've both had dentures over 35 years so we know what to expect)
Her lowers have gaps that collects food when she eats!...

It has taken us almost six months, a dozen appointments or more, 4 dentists to date?, and close to $4000. We chose the very top of the line.

The personnel are taught to be friendly and keep saying "they look great!/ those are really nice!/...etc"

The Docs? AND the lab jockeys haven't finished schooling yet...that may explain some of it.

As stated above...

ASPEN DENTAL
-------RUN, DON'T WALK...
TO ANY OTHER DENTAL FIRM!

YOU'LL BE SO GLAD YOU DID...BTW/ WE ARE FILING A LAWSUIT. A JUDGE HAS TO HEAR THIS!

Good luck all...DB and Rose

I myself am a prosthodontist and I can tell you that I do not deal with dental insurance. To make a denture, I spend a minimum of 5 appointments for fabrication, sometimes more depending on the occlusal scheme and if I want to make a trial prosthesis on the mandible. If I were to take insurance, I would be paying the patient to come to me. For the time that I spend with the patient and in the lab(I set my own teeth, process, etc myself) as well as the materials I use, I have to limit my patient base. I am not a millionaire in the least, but I can go home knowing that I have done a service to the patient and not feel bad about the day that I have had,

I feel sorry for the patients who have been burned by Aspen and other dentists in the past. I wish you all the best.

First let’s start with the fact that you obviously have not made ORAL HEALTH a priority in the first place or you would not be in dentures. It is like someone giving themselves bad HOME PERMS for 30 to 40 years and then going to a licensed cosmetologist and saying “FIX IT PLEASE” and then being mad that you don not look like a movie star. Take responsibility for your own neglect. Secondly, there is a reason NO ONE in your area takes your insurance, the reimbursement rates to the doctor are so low, that the QUALITY dentist cannot provide the level of QUALITY care that is their standard when being paid at such low reimbursement rates, so they decide they cannot do business with your CRAPPY insurance company. Go to the AFL CIO website and see what the CEO of your insurance company is making a year, I am sure it is 100 to 150 times more then any dentist in the area.
A tertiary point would be, NOTHING IS EVER going to fit as well as you natural teeth. If you lost an arm or a leg, would you expect the prosthesis that replaces the limb to function as well as the natural limb? You have DENTAL PROTHESIS, they will never, ever, fit as well as your natural teeth, but you can get close by visiting a doctor that specializes in dental prosthesis, called a prosthodontist. But because they are not “in my insurance network” you are stuck with the cheaper option and poor results. STOP LETTING THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY DECIDE YOUR LEVEL OF HEALTHCARE, would you shop around for the cheapest heart surgeon or brain surgeon?
Final point, there are "price setters" and "price takers" and the price setters are the ones in charge. So if the dental office is in your insurance network, the insurance company becomes the "price setter" not the dental office. They tell the dentist what the can charge, sometimes 44 cents on the dollar ( Avoidable LowAtema or Wedontcare), well if the dental office overhead is running at 66% (national average) the office loses money on those patients whose dental insurance reimburses at such a low rate. And if your dental insurance pays 66 cents on the dollar (Met Mega Life as an example) the dental office breaks even on those patients. So they cut corners and hire less experienced staff and administration, use lower grade materials, and have to see a HIGHER VOLUME of patients to eeeekk out a profit. Insurance companies make money by taking the money in, and finding ways of not paying it back out. Vent you anger at the insurance companies who's CEO's are making 17 million a year or more because I'm sure none of the dentist at Aspen are bringing in that kind of dough. INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE THE EVIL EMPIRE and until we wake up to that fact, your level of healthcare will be dictated by them. In any transaction, if you want to lower cost & increase quality of product for $$$ spent eliminate the middleman, & in healthcare the middleman is the insurance company.

I went to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Aspen Dental, also, because basically that is all that my insurance carrier would cover. Had teeth pulled out by oral dentist and new dentures (about 5 months old) prior to going to Aspen. Advised them that they didn't fit correctly and that my insurance won't cover previous dentist now. They said that I need NEW dentures (even tho I had just gotten my dentures 5 months ago). They said that they could not match they denture material to reline them. They went thru the same sales pitch. My husband was with me at the time & advised me to get the expensive ones as he was tired of hearing me complain which I did. On July 30, 2010 I got the new Naturalyte dentures. They did not fit either. To make a long story short...I now have 4 posts on my bottom teeth to hold my lower dentures in place (which were placed in no specific order and one is post is almost totally exposed from my gum line). They told me they would do it for $1600 and then charged me $2200 on statement so they then took off $550 from my bill. They relined my uppers "5" times and ended up having to make me a totally new upper . Had to go back for a reline on the upper that they had just made and they still don't fit. They will not stay in my mouth and adhesives do not hold them in either. Dentist told me that he was going to a dental conference in a couple of weeks to learn how to put implants in the upper jaw to hold my dentures in place and that he would give me a good deal on them since I had been thru so much trouble. I had to stop & think...I see what my bottom implants look like & now he wants to do upper implants from knowledge that he was just learning? NO WAY! I am so frustrated that I could just scream! I am running out of room and will finish this in a new comment post...continued

In order for a business to be profitable, they can only offer 2 out 3 choices from a business model to be successful. The choices are price, quality, or customer service. If you want great quality and great customer service, you cannot be concerned about price. ( Think Macy's, Lexus, Mercedes). Now if you are shopping at Aspen because they offer the lowest PRICE, you can choose great customer services or outstanding quality but not both, that is the business model you have chosen by price shopping . Obviously the people complaining choose ASPEN because they offer the lowest price (think SEARS DENTAL), so to make up for being cost effective, ASPEN must pick either lower quality materials or hire less experienced employees, or go out of business. You get what you pay for & if you want to go CHEAP, than you will have ill fitting dentures, fillings, etc. If WALMART offered dentistry, all these complainers would be first in line. AFFORDABLE, either means LOW QUALITY or BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE or both. PUT YOU MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS, if you do not you get the quality you deserve.

After having regular checkups all my life and every year just having the same 2 back teeth pulled from an auto accident that had been chipped at age 9, Aspen put fillings in, then said i needed Root canals after [censored]ing their fillings and the older fillins that had been holding up great out. Then after the Root canals, they PULLED TWO Teeth out on one side and Almost pulled Two upper teeth out on the Other side after looking at the paper upside down, until i said "the only other teeth she said that needed work were on the Bottom of the otherside" She snarled and said "Oh, well theyre hard to reach back teeth so you might as well just get Them pulled Also since they'll need to come out SOMEDAY'~ NOWAY LADY i need to EAT! TEETH Vampires! So Now im missing 4 Teeth, was billed 4 times the initial cost that i payed up front.. $100 for a tooth removed equalled $2, 000 a YEAR later after i Already payed for everything upfront last year BEfore the procedure was done. did they Not send Anything to my INS> company? well my Insurance company says they Payed their 80% so What was the Total cost $10, 000+? Thanks Aspen for [censored]ing my old reliable fillings out just to put your crappy ones in that did not hold up and seemed to rot my tooth in a month and making me pay for $700 root canals for 4 teeth that you just insisted needed REMOVED ANYWAYs within that SAME MONTH! THEIVES and TEETH VAMPIRES!

AND THANKS FOR DOING ALL THIS TO ME WHEN I SIMPLY WENT IN INITIALLY FOR A CLEANING and NEVER KNEW THAT YOU GUYS WOULDNT BE REPLACING THOSE TEETH, OR WAS TOLD THAT IT ISNT COVERD BY INSURANCE AND THAT ITS $16, 000 TO DO SO! :( I HAVE CHRONIC JAW PAIN WHERE I WAS INJECTED WITH OVER 30 SHOTS OF NOVICAIN IN THE PROCESS OF ALL THIS BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON THEY COULDNT GET ME NUMB AND NEVER HEARD OF A DOUBLE ROOT COMING OUT OF A TOOTH AS WAS IN MY CASE WHERE THEY ENDED UP HAVING TO GET TWEEZWERS AND PULLING UP THE NERVE AND CUTTING IT AND THEN PUTTING THE NOVICAIN SHOT DIRECTLY DOWN THE NERVE SOCKET! I NOW HAVE A PHOBIA OF DENTISTS! AND WAS TOLD THAT MOMMY MUST'V LOVED ME TOO MUCH BECAUSE THE PAIN HURT!

NO WONDER WHY EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT DENTURES ON THIS SITE!~ THEY PROBABLY ALREADY PULLED ALL THEIR TEETH! TEETH VAMPIRES!

MY MOM WENT TO A DIFFERENT DENTIST AND TOLD HIM ABOUT MY HORRIFIC EXPERIENCES WITH ASPEN AND HE HAD HEARD SOOO MANY PEOPLE COME THERE SAYING THE SAME THINGS! PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DENTISTS THAT THEIR INSURANCE DOESNT COVER FULLY JUST TO NOT HAVE TO GO TO ASPEN!