my mom has been going to the same dental office for over 30 years. she was diagnosed with dementia four years ago and in the last year she got lost going to the dentist and missed an appointment. since then i've been going with her when she goes out. she's always had very healthy teeth. within the last six months she was told by the hygenist that she needed deep cleanings because all of a sudden her teeth are in horrible shape. pockets that are deep and receeding gums. the dentist noted that she has always had the high gums and wanted to check her next cleaning. so they give me an estimate for the four deep cleanings and it's not cheap. my mom doesnt have dental insurance so I ask for a copy of her chart and the cost estimate and tell the dental office that i want to get a price comparison from my dentist. they seemed a little put out, but that was understandable. so my dentist looks it over and says its not a bad price, his would only be about 100 bucks cheaper, so i decided to stick with her dental office. they had already set up the first deep cleaning to see how it would go. so on the day of the first deep cleaning appt. i was sicker than a dog and my husband volunteered to take her. i tell him he's going to need to get out 400 bucks to cover it (she gets a 10% discount if she pays cash or check and she couldnt find her purse that morning). so they come home and he tells me it was only 100 bucks. so i call the dentist and find out that the hygenist didnt do the deep cleaning because i had gotten a price comparison and the hygenist decided to just do a regular one. the hygenist report says there is an improvement and she no longer needs the deep cleanings. I'm thinking the hygenist was looking to make some money off her and was pissed because i interfered. what do you think about this? suspicious behavior or not? I'm thinking of switching my mom to my dentist because of this. thanks!
I think that it is suspicious that the hygenist was making the decision on treatment suggestions. I would think that she would tell the dentist and he would confirm and convey his recommendations. He's the "boss."
Whaaaat?
Why would the hygenist make treatment decisions?
A sudden improvement? I wouldn't trust them any longer.
Yes, it sounds oh so suspicious and I say SWITCH.
I would take her to your dentist for a cleaning and check up to see what they "think". It seems suspicious to me... can't hurt to get a second opinion. Plus, if you've lost trust in them, that's enough to change dentists in my mind. AND if you like and trust yours, what's the harm?
If your mom has no aversion to seeing another dentist, why not bring her to yours?
Does sound a little shady to me.
:)
Hi W.,
If she has any type of dementia, you need to be on top of everything. If you trust your dentist, change her. Same with medical doctors and other service providers. I don't want to take business away from a reputable sort but if there is any suspicion make sure her money is not available to anyone.
Been there with both my parents. My Dad's dementia was from a head injury from WWlI in combination with some other factors. My Mom's dementia was pharmaceutically induced by her own medical doctor and once we removed the prescriptions she got her mind back. At this stage you simply need to stay on top of everything.
God bless,
M.
I would take your mom to your dentist office because that is def. them trying to make some money off her. Also if you didnt want the deep cleaning you dont have to get the deep cleaning done.
According to a good friend of mine who is a dental hygenist, there are a lot of dentists out there that are greedy that will either charge way too much for services or perform unneeded procedures to get more money. Shame on this person for trying to take advantage of your mom in her state of mind! I also don't understand why it would be the hygenist's decision on which treatment path to take, or how much money to charge. This dental practice sounds a little hinky, I would have your mom go to your dentist from now on.
yes, it's suspicious, and you should call them on it. they basically lied to you. if there was a possibility of improvement they would have told you that up front. since when does "need" no longer mean "need" a few months later? let them know you're on to them and maybe they won't do this to someone else.
thanks for posting!
I talk to the dentist NOT the hygenist, seems like dentist offices are ran worse then an old school car dealership...(and this is coming from someone in the car biz)
I probably wouldnt go back and would ask for my money back if all they did was do a cleaning she just had done. Most of the time there is an office manager you can speak with.
switch dentists. my husband was going to a holistic(sp) dentist bc his mother loves the guy. Well they said he needed a deep cleaning at about 350 per section. I told him no and I will find him a new dentist. well after seeing the new dentist who said DH teeth were perfect that it would have been an unnessary procedure. You did the right thing. good for you for standing up for your mother.
I would make a final appointment with the old dentist just to clarify with him what is what. He may not know what the hygienist ended up doing. You can alos tell him your dentist agreed with his diagnosis and that his charge would only be abit cheaper. That you had decided to stay with him due to her familiarity with the people in the practice.
I would give him a chance to explain why she needed the treatment then suddenly she didn't. He may not know the lady pulled a fast one.
My thoughts are that with dementia your mom may get really upset going to a dentist she doesn't have some sense of recognition with. She will have moments of lucidity and the familiar faces at the old dentist may make her more easy to manage during the visits. That's the only reason I would consider leaving her care with them. I would also cancel and appointment if I couldn't go myself with her.
Sounds like they were trying to take your poor mom for a ride. It's sad that people take advantage of others. I don't know if it's true but it seriously seems like it.. I'd have her go to your dentist for a second opinion on the "deep cleanings"... sounded like they got scared and backed off.
Sounds very suspicious. You mention it's the same place she's been going for 30 years but is it the same dentist? My dentist Dr. Howard recently retired. Two new dentist took over the practice and quoted me $400 and charged me $900!!!! I was so pissed off. I got $100 knocked off that price. But I feel they were saying I needed work I didn't need. Sad thing is I still haven't found a dentist and haven't been in for 2 years.
I think if you have another place in mind, you should definitely switch her to it.
Move your mom to your dental practice if you like your dentist. Something to look into is the type(s) of medication your mother is taking. Some medications can cause dry mouth which can result in gum disease and tooth decay. You might want to have your dentist look at a list of her medications to see if any of these might be causing her to have increased dental problems.
Hi, sounds odd to me, you should turn them in!
I am just wondering how much your M. ever questioned the prices for all those 30yrs prior to her dementia.
I would get a copy of the history of her charts, prices etc and then see if those were customary charges or extended. Thats the only way you could really verify if they have been overcharging. This might just be one coincidental situation. Get the facts first and then you will be able to determine if it is suspicious.
that is extremely suspicious if you ask me. I would first speak with the dentist as he is most likely the hygienists supervisor. He may not know what she did or is doing and chances are if she did it to your mom, she may be doing it to others as well. When you got the price comparison you didn't get a second opinion re the necessity of the work? Her dental chart should show how deep the pockets were because dentists check that every time you go in. The little numbers you hear them say as they are poking around are indications of the depth of the pockets and they are recorded in the chart each and every time you go to the dentist. I think you should talk to the dentist and if you are not satisfied after that, change dentists. I had that deep cleaning done year ago because I had bad gum disease. the cost was outrageous!
