How to Prevent Getting Scammed at the Dentist
Dr. Arash highly recommends that you avoid dental chains with more than 5 locations because they are usually owned by a corporation or what is usually known as a dental “DSO.” Examples of these dental chains are Western Dental, West Coast Dental, Bright Now Dental and Pacific Dental Services (PDS). Dr. Arash states that “ it is my absolutely personal opinion that these dental chains are not only financially driven but consistently offer lower quality and often dishonest dental treatment to their patients based on an assembly line system that should be avoided at all costs.” Just ask your dentist what he or she think of “Western Dental” and see their reaction. He goes on to say that “while these big corporations have great advertisement and marketing they are often focused on how to generate massive profits and pay their dentists commission based on how much work they perform.
According to Dr. Arash, it is always better to seek a local dentist who actually owns the dental practice in which he or she is practicing. It is becoming increasingly more accepted for a dentist to have other dentists help and work in their office and that is absolutely acceptable just as long as the owner is a dentist and is overseeing the dental work. Having specialists and other associates working together in the same dental office is a huge benefit to patients and allows for better communication between doctors and less hassle for the patients. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to tell the difference because most dental chains also have specialists in their office and whose sole model is to “feed the specialists” as the patient will be paying significantly higher fees when the specialists are unnecessarily involved. When dental corporations and dental chains begin what Dr. Arash refers to “Drilling for dollars,” it is a terrible combination of greed that ultimately damages not only the patient but also the field of dentistry. This is why it is ALWAYS important to get a second opinion and expect the dentist to adequately explain and educate you until you are ready to make an “informed decision” on your treatment.
According to Dr. Arash, “the dentist has the obligation to discuss with you the risks, benefits, and alternatives to all of your options in detail and to your satisfaction.” This is the process of informed consent and allows the patient to make better decisions on how to proceed based on good information. There is almost NEVER only one option and while certain options may be better in some situations there is always another option with another set of risks, costs, and benefits. In order to really get his patients involved in the dental treatment, Dr. Arash utilizes advanced intraoral cameras that show the patient the inside of their mouth in addition to pictures, examples of models and restorations and also patient education videos and animations that help the patient get a better understanding of what’s going on. “If your dentist is not using ALL of these technologies to educate you on your dental needs, FIND ANOTHER DENTIST, IMMEDIATELY!”