Dekalb Dental Group may be robbing you

[Beth]

DeKalb Dental Group doesn't even have an Oral Surgeon on staff. They have general dentists. They have given me nothing but great care over the past 5 yrs. People in this area are just afraid of new technology, that is really helping to detect problems earlier then ever before. Maybe you should check your facts.

[jakkyl]

Well they are still open for business, so I wonder how much they are paying the city council members to allow their scam to stay in business.

Typical Dekalb. I'm so glad I moved from there.

[Katie_DeKalb]

I can't believe all of this. My husband has had 2 deep gum cleanings. I thought that was crazy because he has great teeth. We never second guessed it. He has a 3rd appointment in Nov. I'm going to cancel it and have him go to a different dentist. Why doesn't anyone take any legal action? Doesn't the State's Attorneys office handle things like this? Thank you for informing me. We can't afford being scammed, life's hard enough as it is.

[DY in DeKalb]

My husband paid $40 for our 4 year old's cleaning, even though we have fairly good insurance. I took my 7 and 9 year olds to a different dentist, Dr. Peltz (who is wonderful) and paid $4 each, total $8. DDG has been ripping off my family for 12 years until I finally listened to my husband and went somewhere else. I have 5 crowns through them, two of which I am still paying for (2 years later). I will never go there again, other than to pick up my dental records!

[Gail]

After going here I will never go back because they told me I needed 4 fillings, went and got 2nd opinion and 2nd Doc said I needed NONE. I want to see a dentist who cares about me and my teeth not just their pocketbook! I mean I know it costs a lot to run a business but these are MY teeth something I really care about and it is nothing to take lightly!!! I ended up saving $600 -$600 I cannot afford to WASTE!!

[Samantha]

Katie_DeKalb wrote:

Why doesn't anyone take any legal action? Doesn't the State's Attorneys office handle things like this?

No, Ron Matekaitis' doesn't give a rats ass about the people he has been elected to represent. His office won't do anything that might require any work on their part.

[Kathy]

Amy wrote:

<quoted text>
I hope you know that laughing gas should never cost 400.00 and novicaine cannot be charged out...it's against the law to charge you for novicaine!

DeKalb Dental Group does NOT use "laughing gas" and does NOT charge out for anesthetic. Where do you get this information?

[Kathy]

Bob wrote:

Wow. Good info.
I'm automatically skeptical of dental office websites that seem overly "promotional" in nature. I had a similar experience at another dental practice (i.e. not DDG), where scare tactics were used to suggest expensive and unnecessary (and potentially damaging) treatments.
When a dental office boast of "new and potentially live saving (and expensive)technology to detect oral cancer" or "early detection of periodontitis (like, before it exists!)" I get skeptical. Shut up and clean my teeth already.
Anyhow, I still need an honest dentist in the depressing little town of Dekalb, IL. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

As a Dental Hygienist myself, it is ethically wrong and illegal for an RDH to do a prophy (regular cleaning) on a patient who has periodontal disease. So shut up and read about how periodontal disease affects your health.

[Jenny]

I'm very confused...I'm a dental hygiene student. We are taught about periodontal disease and how important it is to treat it early. Why is everyone so upset that this dental office is trying to help you? I guess people not in the dental field don't understand what a serious condition it is. This office (Dekalb Dental group) is following the ADA guidelines, look on the website. If you don't want to spend the extra money to take care of your teeth, then don't. Plain and simple. An office cannot possible "scam" you out of money when you are in control and have to give them the okay. And also for people who don't understand dental insurance, they only give dental offices ESTIMATES. They will not give them a 100% positive answer (I worked at an office back home). I'm just shocked that people are upset with an office that is trying to help you. Its funny. Every dentist choses how he/she will approach decay on a tooth. Whether they want to wait for it to get bigger....or fix it BEFORE it gets worse. REMEMBER....it is YOUR choice. Think about it.

[Kaye]

James R wrote:

I will NEVER recommend the Dekalb Dental Group to anyone anywhere. Two years ago, I went to my regular Dentist in Sycamore and they found a deep cavity after a tooth cracked. Within the procedure the tooth cracked half way up in the gum. My Dentist said I would have to go to oral surgeon a.k.a. The Dekalb Dental Group to have the root removed. Upon getting there, I had to wait 3.5 hrs when I had an appointment scheduled and I was twenty minutes early. The so-called surgeon took out the root of the broken tooth but also decided to use his drill to cut directly across the front of a brand new crown my regular dentist had just placed a week prior to this tooth cracking.
I have pictures to prove it and the lawsuit is still pending against Dekalb Dental Group. I have had to subpeona my regular dentist as a witness because she actually took pictures of the new crown on the day she placed it in, then pictures of the crown after I got out of the surgeons chair. I immediately went to my dentist upon seeing the drilled crown and was very upset.
My regular dentist had to be bill me again for another crown so I am going after DDG for pain and suffering. The oral surgeon was not gentle in any way shape or form. I have since seen a ear, nose, and throat specialist because he caused nerve damage on the side of my upper jaw where he had to remove the broken tooth.
STAY AWAY FROM THE DEKALB DENTAL GROUP - THEY ARE BUTCHERS!!!!!!!!!

Are you sure you aren't talking about the DeKalb Dental Clinic, I don't believe that DeKalb Dental Group has Oral Surgeons on staff they are general dentists.

[Kaye]

Jenny wrote:

I'm very confused...I'm a dental hygiene student. We are taught about periodontal disease and how important it is to treat it early. Why is everyone so upset that this dental office is trying to help you? I guess people not in the dental field don't understand what a serious condition it is. This office (Dekalb Dental group) is following the ADA guidelines, look on the website. If you don't want to spend the extra money to take care of your teeth, then don't. Plain and simple. An office cannot possible "scam" you out of money when you are in control and have to give them the okay. And also for people who don't understand dental insurance, they only give dental offices ESTIMATES. They will not give them a 100% positive answer (I worked at an office back home). I'm just shocked that people are upset with an office that is trying to help you. Its funny. Every dentist choses how he/she will approach decay on a tooth. Whether they want to wait for it to get bigger....or fix it BEFORE it gets worse. REMEMBER....it is YOUR choice. Think about it.

WAY TO SAY IT JENNY

[Kaye]

Annie Dunne wrote:

DeKalb Dental Group is one of many clinics that are part of a Heartland Dental Care management group.(With a CEO who lives in Florida.) If you look at their website, they extol the benefits of a management group to give dentists more time to practice dentistry without the burden of management and administration. But a management group of any sort is a business, whose aim is to make money. Aggressive dental practices which generate a lot of income are pushed in the guise of preventative care. The dentists at the clinics may or may not belong to the usual dental associations. They may not have the resources, experience or desire to own their own practice. If this is important to you, or if you want or need something more involved than basic dentistry, you may want to go somewhere else. Also a search on DeKalb Dental Group will bring up a site for the Illinois Attorney General's Press Release with an informative article about how Heartland had to pay 3 million dollars to settle allegations brought against it.

The CEO lives in Florida, really I thought he lived in Effingham, Illinois.

[Kaye]

Sam wrote:

Stay away from DeKalb Dental Group! Both my wife and I switched dentists after being scammed by them. Every time we went for a cleaning they want to sell a service not covered by insurance. Especially floride treatment. Every time we had to say no and tell them I we used a floride rinse twice a day, every time say they will note it in the chart, but every time offer it again, or try to do it without asking. Actually gave it to my wife without asking her permission or telling her what they were doing. My wife insisted taht she made an appointment for a cleaning only, and that floride should not have been applied without her prior authorization. Would not reverse the charge. Told me I needed four cleanings a year instead of two. They told me the insurance would cover it same as regular cleanings. Then charged $70 more than what insurance would cover! Did the same thing as a regular cleaning but took less time because only 3 months between cleanings, but they charged more. Called a couple other offices who charged way less for the same code. Contacted DeKalb Dental Clinic with this information. Was told that if I could get the same porcedure done some place else for less, I could leave! Guess what, I left, as did my wife. Not getting ripped off anymore.

Are you talking about DDG or Dekalb Dental Clinic you mention 2 different dental offices located in DeKalb in this blog???

[Kaye]

Johanna wrote:

I believe I was scammed as well by them. I saw a dentist there in late 2006 and I was told I would need 5 crowns!!! I was also told I would need 2 root canals, when I went to have my root canal done with a oral surgeon(it was bad enough), they said I only needed the one and the other tooth just needed a little filling. Well, they also wanted to take out ALL of my childhood analgam fillings and since they did take them all out and put crowns on 4 out of the 5 teeth they wanted to, I have had sever pain when chewing, high sensitivity, and even lost my taste on one side of my tongue for almost a year! The loss of taste was due to the dentist giving me a shot and she hit my lingual nerve which took forever to heal and still to this day I can't taste the same! In addition, they said I needed the deep cleaning as well when another dentist said that my gums looked totally fine!! I will never go back there either. And I agree with the people on the payment plan problem, they don't accept them and they seem to want to do all the work immediately only to charge you through the nose for all this unnecessary work! Now I never want to go to the dentist with all the pain she caused me and also the loss of taste!! too bad I could not afford a lawyer, I seriously thought about suing for that!!

Didn't know that Oral Surgeons do Root Canals?

[Kaye]

Kathy wrote:

<quoted text>
DeKalb Dental Group does NOT use "laughing gas" and does NOT charge out for anesthetic. Where do you get this information?

She may have been talking about the place where she had to have the teeth taken out at. OS possibly charged for gas and anesthetic?

[Kaye]

Annie Dunne wrote:

DeKalb Dental Group is one of many clinics that are part of a Heartland Dental Care management group.(With a CEO who lives in Florida.) If you look at their website, they extol the benefits of a management group to give dentists more time to practice dentistry without the burden of management and administration. But a management group of any sort is a business, whose aim is to make money. Aggressive dental practices which generate a lot of income are pushed in the guise of preventative care. The dentists at the clinics may or may not belong to the usual dental associations. They may not have the resources, experience or desire to own their own practice. If this is important to you, or if you want or need something more involved than basic dentistry, you may want to go somewhere else. Also a search on DeKalb Dental Group will bring up a site for the Illinois Attorney General's Press Release with an informative article about how Heartland had to pay 3 million dollars to settle allegations brought against it.

Aren't "Clinics a place you are able to walk into and be seen??? I beleive DeKalb Dental Group requires appointments.

[Kaye]

Kathy wrote:

<quoted text>
As a Dental Hygienist myself, it is ethically wrong and illegal for an RDH to do a prophy (regular cleaning) on a patient who has periodontal disease. So shut up and read about how periodontal disease affects your health.

Way to say it Kathy- why don't people go onto You Tube.com and do a search on Whoppi Goldberg and periodontal disease and view the video clip, you might be a little surprised.

[Lucy]

I need a root canal and some other "must" dental work. I am hesitant to just pick any dentist because as we know not all dental care providers have their patients' best interest at heart. Please help me to locate the best and most affordable dentist.

Thank you.

[Sharon]

Soooo glad to stumble upon this. I am new to DeKalb and this is EXACTLY what has happened to me. After my second (very expensive) visit, I have not returned nor have I paid the bill they sent me in the mail for even more money!

Teresa Akinyi wrote:

If you have are getting treatment from Dekalb dental group, you may have experienced this phenomenon. You will get an estimate of what the insurance covers, please call your insurance first because you will end up paying what you did not bargain for. Secondly, if they give a diagnosis claiming you have gum disease, seek a second opinion. Two people that I know of have done that only to find that they did not have anything like that. You may just save yourself some money.

[Katie_DeKalb]

Just an FYI... I just made an appointment with a new dentist office in town. I told them how much I disliked DeKalb Dental Group. She agreed and said this new office will be so much better and they will take good care of me and my husband. They won't be all about the money... here is the kicker.... I asked for the website of their office. They are owned by Effingham Dental as well. They are related! Be careful of Family Dental Care as well. They are between Giordano's Pizza and Dunkin Donuts. I called back and asked her why she didn't tell me and she said she didn't think it was important. They are sneaky. Get the word out!!! FAMILY DENTAL CARE is owned my the same company as DeKalb Dental Group. I just wanted everyone to know. Does anyone know of a good dentist in the area?