Cosmetic Dentistry Grants review: Misleading advertising 45

I tried to check with the better business bureau using the Los Angeles address and then the Newark Address and the company was not found.

When I returned the call, they said was to their office in Canada, they said I had to take their word for it that the $50 paid to the dentist for an assessment, would be refunded, and I asked for that in WRITING, they emailed me ASAP that i was no longer eligible ! Thanks for that! I've never had to pay a dentist up front cash, to an office I can't Google anywhere in the city they claim it's even located-with nothing in writing saying I'd be REFUNDED!

I agree this is a TOTAL SCAM. When I got the call they immediately wanted $50.00 to reserve a seat. What the hell?

Same thing here, but with the Weight Loss Grants program, from the Weight Loss Grants Organization (WLGO), which is actually the Oral Aesthetic Advocacy Group Inc., a FOR PROFIT group, the same one behind the cosmetic dentistry grants. But now, this is in Canada.

Many think that the weight loss grants are part of a government grant. It is NOT. Although the WLGO is listed as a not-for-profit, I do not know where they get money from.

They make money from accredited service providers, which are the accredited providers, and then from referrals.

If you lose weight, you get paid 80% of your investment in those providers in 45 days after the deadline. Sounds good, right? If you are up to the challenge, why not?

After gathering all the documentation with weight out signed by a doctor, invoices and everything, even a Thank-you letter required by them in advance, I have been trying to collect my money for 6 months.

NO MONEY BACK. Lots of phone calls. Nothing. Just a headache.

It is a lot of running around, and no money at all. Think about how many excuses you can hear in 6 months, but the money never comes.

For now, it is a SCAM. And they SCAM all sides, service providers and victims like me. If there is donation or funding from any other organization, they are scamming them too.

EVEN IF... AND IF ONE DAY I GET MY MONEY BACK, then it is not a scam, they are just bumbling idiots with poor business administration skills, I would still NOT RECOMMEND anyone doing any business with these people.

Search for more feedback if what you found here is not enough. Besides, they keep creating fake accounts to give Dalewood clinics good reviews, they do the same on Google maps, BBB... What kind of serious business rely on fake reviews to thrive?

I responded to the GRANT teaser. After receiving their phone call, I spoke to a CSR and then a supervisor. I requested some general numbers regarding the purported "full cost" of the services such as a crown, and the general amounts of the "grants", so I could see the real cost of the services. I was given no information (they obstructed my reasonable questions), and they implied I was being difficult and "not willing to meet with the selected dentist" to find these amounts out. They gave me a song and dance explanation that different dentists charge different amounts. I told them that their program appears to be a discount program, so the amounts were important to me. They vehemently denied being a discount program. I noticed their emphasis on financing options (which goes against the "grant" concept). The supervisor who was basically a rude, sarcastic [censor] who said: now you're running the program and saying how things should be done...blah, blah, blah.
They make out they are doing you a big favor. YEAH RIGHT ! The program doesn't pass the smell test, and now I discovered this website from a basic due diligence search. THANKS GUYS. This one is a big NO. I saved myself a few hours of time, and probably the refundable $50 appointment fee, which was a obviously risk of non-refund.

It took me about a minute or two to realize that this made no sense, and another minute or two to research customer experiences, such as here and elsewhere . Obviously it's a ridiculous scam and not even a good one . Even if you get a few dollars back, you're paying a fortune so what's the "grant"?
You can shop around and deal with honest dentists for less than these prices minus your "grant" .

I'm sorry for anyone who was suckered into this, it's a travesty and these people - including their plants posting here as trolls - should have all their teeth pulled out of their mouths and apply for their own grant for new ones .

Please share your contats in Costa Rica for dentistry. It would be appreciated very much.

This is very sad that they prey on those that are in desperate need for help. The Attorney General need to be contacted about this phony business.

This company is a fake they mislead customers and take advantage of them! BEWARE!

I came across this on the Internet about a month ago(Sept) and applied. I was called and received e-mail that I was chosen for a partial gant and made an appointment. I went to my appointment where I also spent a couple of hours. Mind you my mouth is in very bad shape, so I know I am in need of extensive dental work. After all the xrays and pictures were done I was taken into another room to go over tbe total cost. I was quoted approximately $11, 000 total which included a implant and dentures for top of of my mouth. I was told I'd be able to appy for the monthly payment plan and that my private insurance would cover $2, 000 the grant would cover $5, 300. Correction total amount is $11, 931. So I'm responsible for the remaining $4, 631.00. I was given an appointment for teeth cleaning about a week or two later and told to make a payment of $50.00 when I.came in for my cleaning. Now I'm confused because reading the comments a ove one person said. O out of pocket payment should be made by patient. Anyway, I was notified by e-mail that I will be receiving an affidavit for the grant of $5300. And it must be returned within 30 days or it will be voided a d the dental work must be completed within 3 my nths. I was told my work would take over a year. So I get the affida it in the mail a out a week and a half after bei g told it was coming g, I set up an appointment for the 29th of this mo th, October and figured I was good since the affidavit can be completed by the dental office. I look up directions because I'd forgotten how to get there and it said that the dental office Smile Selec In Redlands ca. Was closed on Saturdays and Sundays, what the... I said no way. I'd been calling only to reach the Corporate office e who h gave me the number to actual ocfi e I was going to. I started calling at 8a.m. to verify my appt. Time and when I got no answer I thought we'll maybe they don't open til later. I continued to call still no a swer. I for gured the internet may ha e posted them bei g closed on weekends by mistake. But I guess not. So now I. Pissed be ause I can't understand why they would s hexule me for an appointment t on a day that they are closed.

That FREE oral assessment they claim costs about $75.00. I know because I was just scammed by them. Stay away!

As a child, my parents could not afford to take great care of my teeth. . I had some serious repairs that needed to be done. I can pay for most, but did need some help. My dental bill was about $25K. I was doing research and discovered the Cosmetic Dentistry Grants which is a TOTAL SCAM. They get you to fill out paper work, they contact you and connect you to a dentist and that's about all that will happen. I had the "free" exam. Then the dentist arranged for cleanings and repairs with my insurance. Once you get your cavities and extractions done, then they present you with a bill. You are to send that to the CDG to see what you will "qualify." Dentistry is expensive, I was not expecting for a grant to pay for it all, but I thought I would "qualify" for something. I contacted them 3 times and got no response. My thought is that this is used to field business to dentists. It's a shame. They should take this site down because it's a pure LIE! Shame on them taking advantage of already vulnerable people

Hmmm.. The dentist is close. The receptionist seemed nice.. Said i could give my $50 xray fee on the day of appt... We shall see... I am going to another dentist who is doing free partials free root canals . free crowns.. I just wanted maybe one implant and 6 veneers... 😢 we will see... I think i wanna go to costa rica.. 😜

WHAT a NIGHTMARE! I too was suckered in. What person doesn't want to replace lost teeth? It's a self-esteem issue & of course, as everyone here KNOWS, BIG time judgement from other people, on a daily basis. I hear a collective AMEN! Like one of the posts alludes to... "we shouldn't be expecting a Dentist to fix our problems for free", on top of letting ourselves GO. Shut UP ignoramus with the compassion of a gnat! English genes, improper brushing when I was a kid, Lupus, diabetes, caretaking for a total of 14 years, lots of blue collar nowhere jobs with no insurance, didn't understand the concept of "higher education" straight out of high school, cancer... LIFE, man. Most of us didn't LET ourselves GO, it's a myriad of issues that converge, and one after another, literally - start knocking our janky teeth out - so I'm getting tired of that kind of scorn from others. Had to start there... now - this whole Grant & implant thing is a major SCAM. Same as lot of other posts listed here, I got accepted. Dentist who accepts it is 100 MILE round trip from home. They have a convenient computer program installed at their office that goes straight to Lending Club & Care Credit. Offer to see if I pre-qualify. I'm living on $1, 082 a month in Social Security. We check and like magic I'm approved for $21, 000 dentistry loan. One compounds interest daily. I get their Wizard of Oz backroom shady "Grant for $4, 300. I'm excited and I "bite" with the 6 remaining teeth on the upper. Bottom ones are decent. STUPID. They completely overcharge for every single move they make. Irrigating is $87.00 - per socket. Less than a syringe of "antiseptic" gets used. Then for the fake bone graft... I had a REAL one at UCLA so know what it should have been. Nope. Instead of layers of matrix custom cut and inserted into the void where the extracted tooth was, the dentist sprinkles a thimble full of what looks like that pure white play sand on top of the blood clots forming and says that the blood and saliva will bond with the sprinkled "resin" and form a matrix for the bone to grow on. And by the way, that will be $335 per SOCKET! Then AFTER my teeth were pulled they took me in another room to inform me that because I only had an upper canine on one side, if the bone wasn't dense enough after 6 months to support a bar that extended along my arch into the back of my mouth, I'd then need a sinus lift for an implant to be placed further back. That would have to be done elsewhere and would cost another $5, 000 plus anesthesiologist and hospital fees. Then if you don't come in every 3 months to have the implants cleaned & they fail because you get a bacterial infection around the posts, they won't be liable for that - I - not them - would be responsible for that "failure" rate. Also, the rubber "O" rings imbedded into the denture that holds onto the metal implant, wear out quite quickly and those are $150 each, plus another $100 for another little piece that goes with it. LOOK. Implants themselves are questionable, okay. You have to be a scholar to figure out how these brilliant doctors have stacked the deck against us blue collar, gullible fools. They've made an industry for themselves. Kudos. There is all kinds of ways they cut costs here. Some implants they get from CHINA & lie and say they got them elsewhere. Some of the cheaper kind, are made of alloys, not pure titanium. How do you know where it came from? You don't. We have to do some more blind trusting & I'm done with that, I don't know about you... Then a few years into it... the metal coating starts flaking off in your mouth, like cheap jewelry. Now you've got BIG problems. The Chinese seem to love to use lead in everything they send to the United States. I don't want some questionable implant leaching coatings or metal shavings into my mouth continually - that I then swallow. You can't get away from it. Now what, I rip out $20, 000 - a car, essentially - and take the financial & health hit? You think the Dentist is going to admit installing some generic knock-off version from China, if he's even in business a few years down the road? This is why they are PROFESSIONALS and we aren't. Think about it - it's exploitation in a variety of ways. Playing on peoples' insecurities, esteem issues, vulnerabilities, ignorance, vanity. Who doesn't want to get back to where they WERE? In the end, I stopped the process after the 6 extractions & receiving my immediate denture. They over-charged for that - $2, 160, for a temporary upper denture & to remove 6 teeth. It took 2 weeks until I could eat. I'll get it relined in 6 months & in about a year I'll go UCLA School of Dentistry - and they'll make me a really nice one for $900. A denture was good enough for Mom - it's good enough for me. There are too many perils - they've built into it - trying to even attempt implants. This bogus "Grant" is just one more way, the rich are living VERY well off the poor, tricking us with their clever schemes. It's quacking like a duck, folks. Wise up. We'll get everything back when we get to Heaven, but I doubt it's possible for restoration of any depth, down here. Certainly not from these thieves. Go to a dental school in your area. Find another way...I am STILL waiting for the dental office to refund my credit line for the services never rendered. A totally different vibe, once you start asking them meaningful questions. Try it. They'll get nasty fast...and don't even THINK about going to those places that say they can do everything in ONE day. It's a HUGE lie. That would be like trying to walk on a broken leg without a cast on it. The failure rate of those all inclusive procedures done in one day - is astronomical! Implants will take lots of money and time - if you're going to attempt it. Expect a good deal of pain, too. Do your homework & then some. Ask LOTS of questions before you begin & at every single point along the way. Understand that you are opening the door to a whole host of much more serious health consequences down the road, if you let them do whatever they want, without questions. Upper implants are especially tricky because the sinus cavities are right there & those lead right into your BRAIN. You don't want an infection forming there. Buyer beware!

Misleading Advertising. Yes, it is very misleading. BUT LEAVE IT THEM AND THEIR PARTICIPATING DENTISTS TO THE FBI, IRS, ATTY GENERAL AND CANADIAN AUTHORITIES investigations--if they are not doing anything wrong--they'll have nothing to worry about. If, they are truly a scam, their employees will be quitting since no one would want to get involve in a scam where he or she can end up in jail or paying thousands of dollars. My best advice: CHECK OUT FREE DENTAL CLINICS ONLINE. CALL THEM AND ASK THEM FOR ADVICE. ALSO, dentures are affordable and they do them and charge you on a sliding scale. That might help too. In tne meantime, thank you for your comments.

Let's leave them to the Feds, IRS and the CANADIAN AUTHORITIES to be investigated, fined and arrested (if warranted) INCLUDING THE PARTICIPATING DENTISTS. My best advice for you is to go to the Free Clinic--or free dental clinics--each state has several. For example, in New Jersey, you can go to the Henry J. Austin website. They offer dental work on a sliding scale--including partial and permanent dentures. As far as implants are concerned, they would be able to direct you to an affordable dentist at least and give you the best advice since they are truly non-profit (no tricks or misleading words to make you think differently--word TRICKS are used by unscrupulous people to trick consumers all the time) AND CAN provide you with dentures that you can afford--since they charge on a "sliding" scale basis. Go and google free dental services for the poor or free clinics in your state. Even if you are not poor, they will treat you, provided that you pay based on your income. Thanks very much for your comments. They helped a lot!

I feel for anyone who has difficulties with their teeth! I was fortunate to find an amazing dental surgeon who is also my regular dentist...she went to school while practicing. She has fixed my horrible teeth and maintains my oral health extremely well. I work for a plastic surgeon who is one of the best in Canada. We often fix botched procedures that were performed in other countries. Sadly the reason it is so expensive here is insurance and guarantees that if you have an issue, there is recourse. some people have gotten great service out of country, but if you get sick or have an issue or the work is not done well, you cannot fly back and forth to another country every time you need help and we have fixed many a botched surgery from other countries.. My suggestion is to call the the local dentistry school, or call around and try to find that conscientious dentist that wants to genuinely help someone who is unable to afford the care they need...cosmetic surgeons often do Demos as well, but it is not always easy to be chosen for them. Be vigilant that is how I found my angel...without her I couldn't have gotten the position at the cosmetic office. I cannot share her name as I do not have her permission and am sure eye has helped many many people already!

I was called by them and the DDS I was sent to is a regular dentist very popular in the area. They even accept my insurance. They forgot to ask for a credit card to "secure" the appointment so no risk yet. This dentist has their prices posted so if they try to upcharge me i will know.
I'm not sure how it's a scam if they aren't taking anything from you. What benefit would it be to CDG''s if you go see a dentist? They collect a referral fee from the dentist not us right? And if anyone wants to give me ANY free money towards the $15, 000 worth of work I need then I am quite happy.
Yes, if you think someone will hand you $20, 000 to get all your work done for free I suppose you can be mad when they only offer $2500. It sounds like maybe some of the dentists are where the scam is taking place but I suppose I will see. So far at least the following is true: The dentist they are sending me to is reputable and I haven't given anyone a credit card. I am having work done that my insurance will pay for at my regular DDS they say that isn't an issue. I also got a quote today so I will know how reasonable this all is. I will report back

rjes24,

I would like that email for the Costa Rica implants!

Thank you.

It is a complete SCAM. There is no discount, grant or free dentistry. They lie to unsuspecting people to convince them to show up at a dental office for free exam. As soon as that happens they charge the poor dentist. so the patient is wasting his or her time to find out there is no grants or free dentistry ( and does not realized how was used by this company just so the company can scam the dentist) and the dentist will not find out for weeks until all of sudden realize that he is just wasting his valuable chair time with people who expect free dentistry on top of paying this company.
Think about it, who pays for advertising to give out anything FREE!

I filled out this hoping to get some money towards My dental bill the biggest lie is that you will be able so go to any dentist I know my teeth are not in good shape and I expected to pay a lot of money but the dentist they sent me to for my evaluation was two hours away I am from New York City how can you tell me there are no dentist available in my area I am terrified of the dentist because of past experiences I got a grant for 1150 but was told I could only use it to go see the dentist who was two hours away and it was only going to be applied to the $11, 500 bill I did not have a problem with the price because I knew it would be expensive of what I wanted my biggest fear was that I would start this procedure two hours from home and something would go wrong and I would not have anybody with me to help me or I could not get in contact with the dentist well I regret turning down the grant because it would've helped and the dentist they did send me to was nice but Dr. Adam Lubin is on the board of cosmetic dentistry grants this is just a way for him and the other dances to get new business because most people that want cosmetic dentistry have underlying problems that needs to be fixed first I know this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as I was so excited to fix my smile but I had to turn it down there is no way I can go see a dentist two hours from my house knowing I am all alone with no one to help me and make sure I get home safe

I am so glad I did research for this organization before getting involved. The organization just contacted me after I came across their site and got my expectations up just like everyone else I have just read about and yes, they have said the exact same things to me, however, the dentist they wanted me to see couldn't see me until next month? I've come to the conclusion that this organization is not on the up and up and while I never had any expectations of having anyone pay for replacing my teeth, when you can't eat, talk correctly and basically stop being involved with life outside your home, who wouldn't jump on a chance to get a (so called grant) to change your entire life? One of the comments mentioned how anyone could neglect their teeth for years and then expect someone to just give them monies to fix them, what you fail to realize is that some of us have had many difficulties in life (and hopefully you never have to experience them) but have had some life altering situations that we did not cause such as death of a spouse, death of a child, lose of your home and several more that I could mention but do not want to go on and on. Anyway, my point being that you are wrong in your comments and thought it was important to point that out. To those who posted about your experience thank you for the information.

I have never figured out why dental work is not part of regular medical insurance to begin with. It is definitely a health issue. Everybody isn't born with the same strong teeth as the next person. There are other issues such as accidents..again. the point being is that dental issues are definitely medical issues. They affect your entire health. It's not always an issue of not brushing or flossing. People with diabetes for example who have high blood sugar, sometimes not detected for a long time, may have major dental issues and it was caused by a condition recognized completely as a heath issue. The ongoing cycle of dental decay and bacteria in your blood system can jeopardize a diabetics cardiovascular health. It just doesn't make sense that dentistry is not covered under medical insurance..it IS medical. It would benefit everybody including the medical insurance as the related effects are treated by regular health insurnace.

Dental implants are quite expensive in the US. 24000$ ! I bet buying a new face is much cheaper.😂😂 :)
In Saudi Arabia(where I am from), Dental implants range from 2500 SR(600$) at an OK clinic with an OK dentist to 10000 SR(2400$) max at fancy clinics with excellent Saudi dentists who are graduates from some of the top schools in the US. Currently, I am living in the US, and I realize that dental care is not affordable.

I filled out their application and just received TWO different emails from them... {thoughts}

"Welcome, Your Application has been Assigned"
{Wow. That sounds great!}
Then I get another one...
"Sorry, we are unable to consider your Grant Application"
{Huh? I thought you just said I was "Assigned"?}

Then I scroll further down the letter...

"If you wish to learn the specific reason(s) why your application cannot be accepted at this time,
or if you feel that your application was unfairly rejected, please write to:

Oral Aesthetic Advocacy Group
Att: Adjudication Panel
2300 Yonge St., Suite 2002
Toronto, Canada M4P 1E4

Thank you."

And that was followed by IN BOLD...

"Please note: This email is not monitored, nor can we provide you with assisstance "[Sic]"
regarding your application by telephone."

Wow. What a great bunch, huh? They do everything by email and phone except client concerns! THAT
must be done by snail mail. Oh well. For the better, I suppose.

I imagine the reason they are unable to consider (my) Grant Application is because I don't have many teeth left. There really is no "routine" dental work to be done. Everything I require now is cosmetic and I don't think they're set up for a full mouth of replacement teeth. (Assuming they're not a scam, of course.)

At this point, I can't say-for-sure for one way or the other. I haven't had enough experience with them. Sorry.

This is a scam, pure and simple. The biggest giveaway is the requirement that you give your credit card number over the phone to "confirm" the first appointment.

Do NOT be taken in by these weasels!

josephdphillips@fastmail.us

This is not really a scam unless you don't read the fine print or idiotic. People who haven't been been to the dentist in 20 years think that they are going to get free dental work. What world do you live in? YOU will have to pay for your Basic work and they tell you that. If you haven't been to the dentist regularly, YOU will have alot of basic work that needs to be completed. DUH! Its not scam, not the grants fault, or the doctors that you haven't taken care of your mouth and suddenly expect to get a $20, 000 hand out. Why would the dentist need to lie to you about what you need? Hes going to get paid regardless because people will always need teeth. They want to help you, they give you options, its your job to research and find out the best options for you. No ones complaining about the cost of cars, or TVs, yet you expect your rotting teeth to get fixed for free. GET OUT OF HERE!

The grant program may not give you as much as you'd like, but they give you something, which would still help you save on getting the smile you desire either way. You go to unnecessary lengths to go to Walmart and save 10% so why not do the same for your teeth?

YOUR TEETH ARE A NECESSITY, NOT A LOTTERY

Just a point of clarification on my comment above. The Cosmetic Dentistry Grants PROGRAM (@ www.cosmeticdenistrygrants.org) is NOT a not-for-profit organization, as they claim on their website (i.e. The section on: About Us & Our Mission). This is simply false. The KEY word here is PROGRAM. Curiously, you also will notice that the word PROGRAM is in orange and the words Cosmetic Dentistry Grants is in black. The REAL not-for-profit organization (and registered as a federal not-for-profit corporation) is: CDG-Cosmetic Dentistry Grants Organization (Corporate number: 7634676 / Business number: 842867202RC0001) It is the organization and NOT the program that is registered as a not-for-profit corporation. Notwithstanding, they clearly equate the program with the not-for-profit. And they also clearly state that this program is both owned and operated by Oral Aesthetic Advocacy Group Inc. ... which is a FOR-PROFIT corporation registered and incorporated WITH SHARE CAPITAL in the province of Ontario, Canada. Their corporate number is: 1828633 Moreover, in Canada you have two choices as a not-for-profit organization. You can either register it as a charity with Revenue Canada (with charitable status) or not register it as a charity (without charitable status) The advantage of registering it as a charity is that you can issue tax receipts for donations and increase the amount of grant monies available. The disadvantage of registering a not-for-profit as a charity is that you MUST make publicly available your financial information (Form T3010). If you ONLY register and incorporate it as a not-for-profit (WITHOUT charitable status) you do NOT have to make your financial information available to the public. However, I can only think of one reason why an organization (who wishes to give grant monies) would NOT seek charitable status, so as to increase donations to help people, is FRAUD. Lastly, and once again, when you a have a not-for-profit ANYTHING (be it program or organization) owned and operated by a for-profit organization (which they do NOT tell you) the conflict of interest RED lights should be flashing, flashing, flashing.

The so-called Cosmetic Dentistry Grant Program being a non-profit organization is pure fraud. There is NO such organization. The REAL organization, is: Oral Aesthetic Advocacy Group Inc. However, this corporation was, in fact, incorporated as a FOR PROFIT corporation WITH SHARE CAPITAL in Canada-Ontario in 2010. Just a simple inquiry with Service Ontario data base will reveal the true FOR-PROFIT nature of this corporation. For this FOR PROFIT corporation to advertise a so-called GRANT program as being a non-profit organization is not only misleading (or misrepresentation) but fraudulent. It should be made against the law for any FOR PROFIT corporations WITH SHARE CAPITAL to use, in any way, the word GRANT in their advertising-promotions. This is a serious conflict of interest which easily lends itself to fraudulent misrepresentation. The word GRANT should be legally and strictly the domain of NOT-FOR-PROFIT organizations WITHOUT SHARE capital; whether charitable or non-charitable. However, this is a legislative matter that MP's and MPPs should be made aware, so as to bring before the various houses bills to be made into law. As such, in order to shut this organization down and expose it for what it really is, call your MP and MPP, industry Canada (Competition Bureau) as well as the news papers for investigative exposure.

Beware!, this is a scam. I was one of the earliest people to enter into this program. I paid $7000 out of pocket to get my mouth "healthy" in order to qualify for the draw, all the while being told that my chances were very high of being selected for the $20000 grant being the pool was so small. I was assessed 4 different cosmetic procedures ranging from $6000 to $24000. The receptionists was more like a car salesmen working on commission pressuring me into beginning the cosmetic procedure telling me that I will be reimbursed if and when I am selected from the draw, I opted to wait to be selected before spending anymore money. 6 months pass and I receive an email notifying that I have been selected for the grant in the amount of $3500, nowhere close to the expected $20K. Then I continue reading the email and it states that I can only redeem this $3500 if I get the $24000 cosmetic procedure. What a joke, I paid $7000 to get the $20000 grant not so I can spend another $20K.
In my opinion the founder, Lola Snidman is a blood sucking vampire trying to cash in before her husband (Dr.Kochman one of the participating dentists who sits on the "Board of Advisors") passes on.

What an outrageous piece of spin, spin, spin for a very clever scam to get work for dentists!