Confessions of a Steubie Wife

Why am I always too late

to stop a swindler?

I sincerely wish that Jon and I had not patronized this business.

We went for routine cleanings,

and left with reason to contact the Better Business Bureau.

I know someday I will laugh at this,

but not today.

Okay, I did laugh a little when I reflected on one part of the experience that I cannot put into words. Okay, two parts.

Follow-Up:

For all of you interested in the details of our dental visit, I think you will find Jon's description telling and entertaining.....It is missing some key parts, like when the xray nurse did a little trail with her finger to Jon's heart indicating that if he didn't get xrays, (in a child-like voice) "it would go straight to his heart" AND when the consultation guy asked me if we had kids and then said how great they are and threw his arms up imitating young children saying "Mommy! Daddy!" Yes, I know this is hard to believe, but it happened! Maybe he was abusing the laughing gas??

Attached: Jon's Reflection/ Therapy

I also went to AllCare Drill and Fill earlier today! They saw both my wife and I and gave us a truly memorable trip to the dentist...memorable in the most negative sense of the word, as in nightmare inducing bad.

We only went for a teeth cleaning but instead were treated to a more “thorough” plan of action since they vehemently insisted upon doing what they called a “dental examination" before hand. At first glance this seemed quite reasonable and was if anything an opportunity for my wife and I to brag about how uber-healthy our teeth are. Thus we agreed to the exam before our cleaning.

Upon doing x-rays they quickly claimed that I had a cavity which was in serious need of drilling and used scare tactics in order to convince me of it: 1) I could die from infection 2) I would have to pay thousands of dollars later for what would only cost hundreds now (assuming I’m not already dead that is).

Never-mind the fact that I had no pain, no sensitivity, etc, to indicate such a thing was actually true or as dire as they said, they remained highly insistent.

The real problem with this is that only 6 months prior my parent’s dentist back in my hometown (one of the few who have been honest with me) warned me about a SUPERFICIAL sign of decay on the exact tooth (and spot) they identified...saying that as long as I continued to care for my teeth (as I do) it could last many years before requiring work and that it would actually be better off left alone.

Well I explained this to AllCare and they were insistent regardless claiming that to do nothing would mean the loss of my tooth or WORSE in the near future (like an exploding heart?)....this of course was all said to me after an extraordinarily cursory examination in which they failed to do a number of routine checks any good dentist should do.

I reluctantly gave temporary assent to there assessment of the situation so as to prevent myself from accusing them of lying straight to their faces...a thing which I felt was prudent since I am not myself a dentist and because there remained the slight possibility that they were correct. (I made up my mind to get a second opinion because pretty much everything about this place told me that this was not going to be my dentist in the future.)

So from this point we went to see there “consultation” guy...a thuggish looking man in a small office adorned with models of teeth and dental procedures that I am sure he did not understand in the slightest. He also quickly engaged me with more scare tactics and unnecessary pressure, telling me that I should thank the dentist anytime he finds a cavity because of what it means for my health and my wallet (I would be allowed to live and for thousands less than if I waited!). Thanks!

Experience and common sense instead told me that this guy was full of it, as my wife and I both have been boldly lied to with regards to the need for drilling/filling numerous times in the past...usually forcing us to find a second opinion and a dentist we can trust (we move a lot).

We told him we would be getting a second opinion and of course he seemed bothered and then we told him that we would be canceling the teeth cleanings, which he was charging us $100 for (about $40 above what most dentists charge). We also added that would only be paying the $60.00 of examination fees, which we both knew were a rip-off considering how ridiculously short and halfhearted our exams were (we’re talking a matter of a few minutes a best and they completely failed to engage us in dialogue concerning our dental history, such as my large pirate-like gold inlays that they never even bothered to ask about!). This again visibly disturbed him, since he wasn’t making a sale that day, so he then proceeded to haggle as if we were in a cheap market stall somewhere in Mexico bargaining over curios. “For today only” he would reduce the price of cleanings to $70.00 from $100.00....we were not amused. He never seemed to grasp why this turn of events would be so disconcerting to us.

To top this whole scenario off, he refused to give us my x-rays so that I might get a second opinion...at least not right away, they would need a week to be able to do so he claimed. This is also bogus because anytime in the past we have been able to procure them on request on the same day....but they were busy after-all so time will tell whether or not he will ever remain true to his word. Under no circumstances would I EVER go back to this place or to any one of their dozens of locations which are springing up all over the U.S. like some kind east-asian bird flu. They feed off of people’s ignorance and offer horrible customer service which borders on the criminal side of things. Avoid at all costs.

Two months ago, Jon, my sister, and I spent our entire lunch debating whether this was an image of a goat, a sheep, or (my favorite) a kangaroo. I think the laughter was compounded by the person working there who could not tell us what it was (hello?) and another customer who treated us like we were cotton people without brains because we did not know what this animal was. This man got a good laugh when we deduced (or rather induced) that since the company was Australian (according to the employee who is now an unreliable source), then the animal must be--why yes--a kangaroo! I must say that Jon insisted all the while that it was a sheep; I admittedly got excited at the prospect that it was a kangaroo, which sounded more fun than a lousy goat or sheep.

Ultimately, the all-knowing customer told us cotton people that it was a goat, but Jon insisted that it was a sheep. I think I was still willing that it was a kangaroo.

For good measure, we should all see these images on trial: