Disputes With Dentists: How You Can Fight The Fee

It rarely happens, but even dentists can make mistakes of a financial nature. If you’ve been to an appointment and are unhappy with what you are seeing on the bill, you may wish to bring it to a dispute. Even dental offices are fallible, and that’s not even counting the ones that are outright disreputable. Before you find yourself in such a situation, it’s important to make sure you do everything in your power to avoid winding up there in the first place. Here are some tips for doing that, and what you can do to dispute a charge once it’s too late.

The best way to avoid this situation is to make sure you have an open and clean line of communication with your dental office. Make sure you understand beforehand what you are being charged for and why. This is especially important if you do not have dental insurance or if that insurance has strict limits on what it will cover. Dentists understand that most people do not have unlimited funds with which they can use to have any procedure they wish to have. Make sure your own office understands this and doesn’t try to bill you for something you won’t be able to afford.

If you find yourself in a situation where you have been charged for something you don’t agree with or don’t understand, make an appointment where you can come in and discuss the dispute. Many dentists employ someone to manage the office, and it will likely be this person you will have the appointment with. If possible, it is always best to have these conversations in person. Over the phone, concepts can be lost and it can be much more difficult to make sure your side of the story is heard. Be firm when you reach your appointment, but also keep an open mind. This could be the result of an honest mistake.

When it comes time for your appointment, bring any supporting materials you may wish to refer to. This could include something in the written estimate, proof of what the office has charged in the past, or something from your insurance company. You may even wish to bring in evidence of how much other dentists charge for similar procedures. While this may not be enough to make a case for a disputed charge, it may be in other cases where the office does not want to lose your business.

Remember, you have the power to right financial wrongs, even if they are committed in the dentist office. In this day and age every penny counts, and even the slightest error can result in a large sum that you must pay. If you do find yourself disputing a charge, make sure you are well prepared with whatever documents can support your case, and keep in mind that although mistakes happen, if you catch them you can correct them.