re: Are all Dentist scams

Root canals: usually the tooth or gums in area hurt, but not always

Cavities: typically only hurt if they get really big - kinda like blood pressure - doesn’t hurt until you have a heart attack or stroke

Cracked teeth/hairline fractures: this is the big one I’ve been seeing lately in my office that causes a lot of question and sometimes skepticism from patients when they’re told they need an onlay or a crown. Large silver fillings are prone to cracking teeth over time due to the way the tooth is drilled to hold the silver in place and other factors

Gum disease/deep cleaning: watch out for this one. If you hear a lot of that going on while you are at your checkup, and you are a regular visitor of the dentist and have good hygiene, might want to get a second opinion. By definition, the deep cleaning CAN be coded fairly easily due to the ADA criteria, but it’s over-utilized and often an upsell in my experience.


Suicide: It’s so tough and stressful for small dental offices like mine because of insurances and the reimbursement. For example, my office is out of network entirely because I don’t have a huge practice and I’d have to see 2-3x the amount of patients or fabricate unnecessary work to make up for the insurance write-offs and keep my business afloat. Can I blame patients for wanting to go to the big box places like Aspen where out-of-pocket costs are probably a little less? No.. I get it. And as a younger parent with several children in a single-income household, I’d prob be inclined to do the same. Sucks that insurance basically dictates the entire industry. If I had to do it all over again, I’d be a plumber!

The biggest issue I have found at the big box places is continuity of care and accessibility. At my office, you get my cell number for emergencies/questions etc, and you’re always seeing the same hygienist and dentist, and I can call in favors to specialists, pharmacies, etc. On the other hand, I have several close friends who work at Louisiana Dental Center and other corporate places, and they are all good dentists (at least the ones I am close to)

Also, Mark Schott and his son are both great guys

ETA: Aspen does suck though. Stay away from there. And be mindful of secret corporate places run by Heartland Dental