I had the same experience as Marcus at Gentle Dental Irvine. The dental plan my employer provides, Dental Health Services (DHS), is part of what I consider a "conspiracy" by HMO dentists.
Here is how it works: A dental plan pays the participating dental group a set fee per month (typically $10.00). The dental group must provide semi-annual x-rays, exams and cleaning at no charge to the patient. The only way the dental group makes a profit (or breaks even) is to diagnose non-existent conditions and then overcharge for those services.
If you complain to the dental plan, they conduct their own “confidential review”. I believe the confidential reviews by DHS are a charade. Of course, they always find their participating dentist was honest and competent. If you want an independent dental review, they will only pay for one done by one of the dentists that participate in the conspiracy (oops – I mean a participating dentist within the plan).
You save money by utilizing dentists that are not part of Dental HMO.
