GETTING RIPPED OFF? (PART 1)

If you are an expert in a particular field it tends to mean you know quite a bit about that subject. It doesn’t mean you are always right, but you can usually at least have an intelligent conversation about your field. When a “journalist” writes a story about your area of expertise, I would be willing to bet, the expert (you), often cringes about the content. So goes the latest thing I have seen written about dentists and dentistry.

“Is Your Dentist Ripping You Off?” is the title of an online column that was forwarded to me. One of the best parts of this type of column are the comments to follow from such a wide range of people. Dentists commented, patients commented, hygienists and assistants commented, and many who don’t go to the dentist commented. Over the next few weeks I am going to take little pieces of the column and the comments and discuss them. I think it will make for some interesting discussions that I hope you will weigh in on.

Let’s lay the groundwork with summarizing the column itself. The author describes a “person near and dear” who returned from the dentist and was told they need two crowns for around $3000. The author called some other dentists in the area and found that there was a range of fees. Some of her comments follow:

“When I look at this bill, I wonder why I obsess about the weekly price fluctuations of Cheerios or the shrinking size of a can of tuna. All the economical choices a family makes in a year can be wiped out by a trip to the dentist.” She continues by questioning how there can be such a range in fees.

“So how can the first guy explain why his price is $450 higher? The office assistant told me ‘not all dentists are created equal,’ and of course, this dentist is one of the best in the area, using a great lab. But how can someone who is not a medical professional know if their dentist is worth their fees?”

I think these questions are excellent questions and are things that many people wonder about. Of course, there is no easy explanation. We will get deeper into that in another column. There is no doubt, dentistry can be expensive, but is it relative to everything else in life?

One of the most important suggestions the author had was, “don’t select a dentist on price alone.” While I believe this is true, the next logical question would be – What other factors do you use in selecting a dentist or health care provider? The author provided some other good information.

“Fees are one part of evaluating a dental practice, but you want to have confidence in the office, the people there, how they sterilize instruments, and the training and continuing education of the dentist. Does he or she seem to be looking out for your best interests over the long haul? What’s the dentist’s philosophy for keeping your teeth healthy for a lifetime?”

That is great advice. I would add to that looking at the practice website, reading testimonials of existing patients, and asking to visit the practice and meet the dentist and staff before committing.  That should be done at no charge.

Next week I will discuss some of the comments written after this column. That will be interesting. Looking forward to your comments as well.

Dr. St. Clair maintains a private dental practice in Rowley and Newburyport dedicated to health-centered family dentistry. If there are certain topics you would like to see written about or questions you have please email them to him at