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Medical Forum / General / Dentistry / December 2006Front office problem?
Let me know if I'm off base, or there's a better approach, please. I found a dentist nearby, fairly recent UCLA grad, whose work I really appreciated. Over an 18 month period he did about $6K worth of work...many crowns replaced, couple root canals, etc. During this time scheduling was often difficult, and I learned he had another office that he owned outright. Recently scheduling became crazy, and I showed up TWICE for appointments and was told "sorry, Doctor isn't able to be here, didn't anyone call you to reschedule?" After two weeks of this nonesense I arrived and was told "the office has been sold, and a new dentist will be helping you." No thanks, I said. So I learned where my preferred dentist's other office is located, called for an appointment, and advised I was previously his client at "ABC Dental" and would appreciate their obtaining my Xrays, since I'd quite recently paid for a complete set. "No problem" the new office told me. The day before my appointment the office called and told me "sorry, since Doctor is no longer affiliated with ABC Dental, we can't get his records and we'll need to do a complete new workup on you." I asked if it isn't customary for dental offices to allow xrays to follow patients, and the was transferred to another Bryman School graduate, the "office manager" who explained "Doctor is no longer afilliated, blah blah blah." I asked to please have my dentist call me, and was told "No, you must talk with me." Again I asked to leave a message for him to call me. What's up...the dentist is a young guy, barely 30, and we seemed to have excellent rapport. He'd had no compunction calling me when I had questions about my care before. If feels like he has clumsy stooges running the show up front. Is this some standard procedure that's intended to make clients learn their place (eg. not be assertive). Does he really need to "take a new history and do a new workup for me" even though he's the only guy who's looked at my teeth for over two years? Thanks for the benefit of any professional insight you can share. > Let me know if I'm off base, or there's a better approach, please. > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > Thanks for the benefit of any professional insight you can share. There MAY be a legitimate need for a new set of x-rays if significant restorative treatment was done after the last set was taken. OTOH, (and I think this is the case in most or all states) you have a right to a COPY (not originals) of all records, for which a reasonable fee must be charged for duplication. Sometimes a dentist wants a tough "traffic cop" at the front desk; still, if you ever get to see him you should report the rude behavior at the front desk. That's the only way a dentist is going to find out about it. Steve  SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 > Let me know if I'm off base, or there's a better approach, please. > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > Thanks for the benefit of any professional insight you can share. _______________________ In California (and in many other states as well) you are entitled to a copy of your former dental records at "ABC Dental" (which I assume is a made-up name for purposes of posting your question on the internet). Since most mass-production volume-oriented clinics are far more interested in your money than in your health, you can count on them wanting to make a "reasonable" charge for a copy of your dental records. Depending on the complexity and extent of your dental records, even traditional dentists are now starting to charge a small amount for the expense of copying radiographs and photographs, if they are in your records. The point is that the law states that YOU are the person entitled to the copies of your records, not your next dentist, or the next dental office. Under the law, the clinic can refuse to send copies to another dentist requesting the records, but they have to make copies for YOU if you request it in writing. The obvious solution is to get the records copies yourself, then you can take them to as many dentists as you want. Problem solved! Best regards, - dentaldoc *snip* Thanks for everyone's help. Finally this am "ABC Dental" said they would, after all, make my xrays available for a $25 copying charge, but they would NOT provide copies of my dental records. It's less the dollars than the obfuscative, unfriendly approach that bugs me. My dentist (or at least I used to think he was "my dentist") had me take a full mouth set two months ago, with no restorative work since. Every procedure has required additional Xrays...which is fine, laudable even. What's really stuck in my craw (other than crappy old man teeth) is that the dentist personally seemed quite free of any condescending approach. We compared our UCLA experience, talked about the Persian Festival here in Orange County, and frequently discuss US / Iran politics without problem. All questions about my dental care, costs, prioritizing etc. have been handled in a way that makes him seem 100% open and candid. I'm sure he has a half million in school bills, but I've never had any sense he's seeing me as a boat payment. But having googled his name, looked up the details of his license etc. the only way I can tell him his front office buffoons are dicking me around...is to wait in his parking lot until his old used car pulls in the driveway. I'm sure he'll tell me that due to the sale I need to go get my own xrays / records from the former office (probably there's a covenant to not compete) and then we can move forward. But the high school dropouts up front are insisting I schedule a new patient consultation etc. Rant over, thanks expressed, and recognition that "it's hard to find good help" expressed > *snip* > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > Rant over, thanks expressed, and recognition that "it's hard to find > good help" expressed Suggest you inform the front desk lovelies that they can release a copy of ALL your records (for which you are willing to pay a reasonable copying fee) or you will sign a release authorizing your lawyer to request them. Steve SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 >*snip* > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] >Rant over, thanks expressed, and recognition that "it's hard to find >good help" expressed Why not schedule the 'consultation' and when you get to see the doc in person, explain the situation. Otherwise, have you tried to contact the dentist at his home phone ? |
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