What do people pay for basic cleaning? Last time I was at the dentist office I felt like I was in a car dealers finance office. Finance lady tried to peddle some insurance that almost double what it was 2 years ago. When I turned it down she tried to pull some ADA recommended charges on me that were 50% more then 6 months prior. I told her that was not acceptable and said I paid $x last time. She walked off and came back and said ok the charge will be the same. I know inflation is causing prices everywhere to increase but 50%? Starting at about 4 months they would call and or text trying to get me to set an appointment. They called 2 months ago and stated that I want an upfront price. I have not heard from them since.

I get a cleaning every 6 months...$0 out of pocket. Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance.

My dentist is mid 100's for a cleaning, I forget, but she is pretty much the going price around me. We don't have dental insurance because it doesn't benefit us.

When I leave my dentist, the next appt is already set-they don't have to hassle me about setting the next one.

But, I get what you are saying about the add-ons. Just a cleaning becomes a cleaning, then they do the water-jet thing, then the fluoride rinse, and the gum depth assessment, and on and on.

Medicare?

we're screwed..

Mine was $90 because it was my first time with this new dentist. Probably over $200 next time.

BRUSH YOUR TEETH, floss and use mouthwash everyday.

Would not go to that dentist. Sounds like one of those chains.

had a cleaning yesterday. I'm starting to have issues with gum recession, so the dentist wants to fit me for trays that hold antibacterial gel and placed for 10-15 minutes to treat them all for the low low price of $1k.

Dentist's offices have become more like the finance mgr.`s office at a car dealership. I think they offer lots of treatments for big $$$ that have no value. Everyone that walks in the door is an opportunity to upsell some type of treatment or find something that needs to be done to your teeth. Is it all really necessary or just another type of scam from the medical field. Who knows. A good friend told me long ago, that if you go to enough doctors, they will find something wrong with you. (referencing his sister who always thought she had something wrong)

We got this up sale crap from the pediatric dentist we had our daughter at, she needed some work and we got a quote and we said hmmmmm nope. We took her to our dentist and the price was about75 percent less.

Same.

I opt out of that because I don't want to tie up a good fishing day. A few years ago my dentist went from a fairly nice office to a Taj Mahal. I know his overhead went way up but he has also gone from one dentist to 3 so more revenue. High school buddy is dentist and he kept his overhead low by renting space in a strip center. He sold his practice and retired.

My dentist's office here is on the square and is like going back in time to the 1950's. There's a price list and no surprises.

I'm hoping to write off my root canal and oral surgery I had last year.

Funny, we bought land, built a house and moved to the country 8 months ago.We still drive 1.5 hours to go see our dentist!
We have lived in Texas since 2007 and had been to 2 different dentist until we found our current one. (We left for the reason people are stating…we hated going because of the sales pressure for upgrades!!!)

Our current dentist for last 10 years does not treat their patients that way at all!!! We love them and will continue the 1.5 hour drive every 6 months.

They are in Flower Mound if anyone wants their info send me a message.

Cheers!

This is probably killing me. But I rinse with 50/50 peroxide and water once a week.

Peroxide is a great germ killer. I had to spray the back of my throat with it when I was doing radiation treatments.

Some dentists pay commissions. Do not go to those people.

You have to remember, a dentist education and running a practice is NOT cheap. Pay that man his money!

Stealth, please share! Awesome to hear.

My new insurance says it's $0 for cleaning, $5 for extractions, etc...I haven't been yet, but plan to in February, so I guess we'll see. I will not be using a chain dentist, but a doctor in hhis own office. In a couple of years a close friend/client that I've worked on for 7 years will be graduating from A&M College of Dentistry and he's promised to take care of my teeth. I guess we'll see.

Yep, me too!

I have dental ins that pays for 2x yearly cleanings for the wife and I. Love my dentist, but as soon as he says I need something else done, the clerk is right there with the "estimate" and obligatory papers to sign.

Im happy with my dentist. Hes pretty much retired and has plenty of money. If I was in dfw area and needed a dentist I would use one thats on this forum. I havent noticed him posting much lately but havent looked.

After the last email from the finance person at my dentist office I might be looking for a new dentist. She sent me an email pushing their latest plan. I replied asking about the price and coverage. She sent me another email explaining all that. I asked about options like paying per visit. She replied with this long email that included the credit that she gave me me last time, a list of recommended services and why they are important and when they should be done, followed that up with a list of my visits over the last 4 or 5 years.

#1 - last visit she tried to charge me almost 2x the previous one 6 months earlier. I negotiated it down.

#2 - I don't need a 2 bit finance person telling me what I need. That is the dentist's job

#3 - while I don't know the exact dates of my last 8 or 10 visits I do know they were approximately 6 months apart.

Can't wait to hear her reply when I send her my reply. Email chain started with an email from her offering one of their plans.

Same here BUT ...

My dentist apparently doesn't make enough off of regular services and now tries to up-sell my entire family (wife and four kids) on all manner of sleep studies for snoring, cancer scans, bone density what-evers, and has even started recommending a new ortho for my kids when two are done, one is almost done, and number four just started. She charges extra for certain types of payment and has apparently instructed the "new" money taker (after the one that worked there for most of the last 25 years left a second time for good) to not let people leave with a balance. I told the new girl last visit (where I paid $600 of a $720 bill for a crown IN CASH) I would be sending a check for the balance LIKE ALWAYS. She looked at me as if I had two heads. My wife is fed up.

Who really wants to look for a new dentist at middle age when you've had the same one since 2001...?