Ask the Dentist!
How Much Does A "Free" Dental Visit Cost?
I know almost everyone has seen or received a coupon in the mail for a “free” dental exam and cleaning. Recently I moved to a new home and almost immediately started receiving coupons for everything, including the “free” dental exam and cleaning. If you’ve never gone for a “free” visit you have to wonder what are you getting for “free”?
Now, I know everyone has heard the old saying “nothing is free,” and there is a lot of truth to that. Whenever I see anything advertised as free I always ask, “what’s the catch?” This is where things can get a little murky.
The average consumer knows that the word “free” is used to bring in customers in hopes of selling something else. It used to be taboo and even frowned upon for dentists to advertise, but today you can hardly miss a dental advertisement in magazines, newspapers, tv, and even radio. With the rise of corporate dental practices, where you’ll see most of this coming from, dentistry has gotten really competitive. I refer to this as the age of Amazon where dentistry is looked at as a commodity and the cheaper the better. Now I’ll be the first to admit that I love Amazon and do a lot of ordering from their site. But when it comes to healthcare cheaper is not always better. Dentistry is no different. The lure of a “free” cleaning and exam is an attempt to get patients in the door. While this is not at all a bad thing what happens next can transform a new patient from a long-term loyal patient to one who leaves confused as to how they could possibly need all that dental work done. The offices' motivation for offering the “free” visit will determine that outcome. Large chain dental practices answer to stockholders or owners where daily production “goals” drive how the practice is run. These “goals” can’t be met unless you get patients in the door. On more than one occasion I have done a second opinion consult where a patient was given a costly treatment plan with highly questionable treatment listed when they visited a new practice because it was “cheaper” or they were on their dental plan. Unfortunately, many do not question the treatment they are told they need and wind up receiving unnecessary treatment—all for a “free” exam and cleaning.
If you are looking for a new dental home with the highest ethical standards give us a call at 225-926-4203 or visit our website at www.batonrougedentistry.com.