Looking For a Gentle Experienced Dentist in Mesa, Gilbert or Scottsdale (Glendale: house insurance, to buy)

[klotone]

Hi friends, Finally moved back to AZ and I need to have some dental work done. I'm a bit of a chicken, so I need someone who is super sensitive, gentle, experienced and kind. Let me know if you have any recommendations. Thanks very much!

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by klotone

Hi friends, Finally moved back to AZ and I need to have some dental work done. I'm a bit of a chicken, so I need someone who is super sensitive, gentle, experienced and kind. Let me know if you have any recommendations. Thanks very much!

Add one more key item... To increase your odds of getting someone honest, only use an independently owned dentist firm. Meaning, don't go to a corporate dentist. See http://www.optindentaladvantage.com/...t-independent/ With a corporate dentist, they are all about the bottom line management and to hit their production numbers. So if you are a young dentist with a lot of debt, often they have to work at corporate locations where their bottomline management boss leans on them to hit production numbers. The net result (and with 30% commission) the dentists lean on patients to get treatments.

My daughter is a dentist and I know a lot of people who are in the field. What I just said is very well known and understood in the industry. The trend is for small firms are bought up at top dollar. To get their ROI, they crank-up the margins by recommending procedures, inhouse insurances, etc. Like I said, every dentist understands what I just discussed. Don't assume your dentist daughter is honest.

For those of you who are going to a corporate dentist and are say, 40+ years old: let me guess, you were diagnosed with "deep pockets" needing special expensive cleanings. Gee, how did I know?

As for your specific question: I live on the west side of town so I cannot give you any recommendations. I was offering a PSA for you and others. Best of luck!

[Sno0909]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

Add one more key item... To increase your odds of getting someone honest, only use an independently owned dentist firm. Meaning, don't go to a corporate dentist. See How to tell if your dentist is independent or part of a chain With a corporate dentist, they are all about the bottom line management and to hit their production numbers. So if you are a young dentist with a lot of debt, often they have to work at corporate locations where their bottomline management boss leans on them to hit production numbers. The net result (and with 30% commission) the dentists lean on patients to get treatments.

My daughter is a dentist and I know a lot of people who are in the field. What I just said is very well known and understood in the industry. The trend is for small firms are bought up at top dollar. To get their ROI, they crank-up the margins by recommending procedures, inhouse insurances, etc. Like I said, every dentist understands what I just discussed. Don't assume your dentist daughter is honest.

For those of you who are going to a corporate dentist and are say, 40+ years old: let me guess, you were diagnosed with "deep pockets" needing special expensive cleanings. Gee, how did I know?

As for your specific question: I live on the west side of town so I cannot give you any recommendations. I was offering a PSA for you and others. Best of luck!

I appreciate the insight. I went to Aspen Dental once and I vowed to never go back. I thought I was at a used car dealership.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Sno0909

I appreciate the insight. I went to Aspen Dental once and I vowed to never go back. I thought I was at a used car dealership.

Before my daughter worked on my teeth during her 3rd and 4th year at school, I tried finding two local Suprise dentists. A lot of these dentists offer lost leader $39 or $59 1st time visits. I just wanted to find someone local in AZ. The 1st one was Aspen. During the exam, they said I have "deep pockets" which is the probe tests measuring how tight your gums are against your teeth. I didn't trust their numbers (the higher the number the "deeper the pockets" or what is defined as periodontitis).

Anyways, they were testing and barking out 4-5-4-5-4-3-4 and those #'s represent how many millimeters of depth you have. Mind you, I knew these numbers were wrong. That's because I called my MN dentists and they said I was mostly 2 mm and an occasional 3 mm. And no 4, 5, or 6 mm depths. The deep cleaning procedure to clean is spendy. i.e. $1K to $3K per treatment. Psst: the dentist gets 30% of that amount. READ https://www.healthline.com/health/pe...%20antibiotics.

Like you said, Aspen was pushing plans and insurance. I took my $50 cleaning and went on my merry way knowing I would never go back. Next time, I tried these guys in Surprise https://www.canyonmoderndentistry.co...intment.html#/ . The lobby had 4 people filling out their info into onsite computers. As in, I was the administration for myself?! During my visit with the very nice dentist, I explained about my Aspen experience to let them know I'm "in the know". I mentioned that how Aspen tried to scam me on deep pockets. He chuckles and did XRay's. We also talked about how our daughter was going to school for dental school in AZ and other small talk.

They spend a ton of time as to why they are the best. Like having the corperate backing to buy the state of the art equipment. Next, they dumped me out to the lobby without cleaning my teeth. I got called back up to the front desk where the receptionist informed me that "I had deep pockets" and how expensive it was. She recommended insurance where if I give them something like $200 a year of a no-name insurance company it would drop it down to around $1500 a cleaning. I said, "no thanks, I'll just take the regular cleaning". They said nope! They would have a liability if they cleaned my deep pocket teeth. I verified that's categorically false even if someone had deep pockets. I was firm with her letting her know I knew exactly what was going on and why. She told me to pound sand and the dentist refused to see me.

The next day, I got in fast because of a cancelation at this private practice dentist Surprise Dentist | Martineau Dentistry | Cosmetic Dentistry Surprise AZ 85379 . No $49 cleaning. Rather, $190 for the 1st appointment. I didn't say a word as they barked out 2-2-2-3-2-2-2-3-3-2-2. I then asked "don't I have deep pockets" and they said no. He was being as politically correct as I can and simply said "no, you don't have deep pockets" and would not touch the real reason (a money grab). I was able to fill in the rest later as I got to know a lot of her fellow classmates when they entered private practice. As in, we literally talked about their pressure to "produce". If you don't, you get fired. And if you do, you make a lot of $$'s. So they are off selling payment plans on overpriced procedure to some broke customer. They said that is the reality. Not-so-smart people==good profits.

A good reporter could blow the lid on this moneygrab scam. And the "deep pockets" is the go-to abuse in dentistry as well as going after cavities before you should. Meaning when you heard the denist tell the hygenist "put that on tooth on watch". That meant we are delying filling the tooth (it's better to wait). A greedy dentist is going to fill and drill at the earliest opportunity and thereby weakening your enamel. Also, it's often not necessary to drill-and-fill (read https://www.sciencealert.com/no-dril...ways-necessary ).

[Ztonyg]

I know it's not in the East Valley but I have to recommend my dentist Chris Menghini.

Great office staff, friendliest dentist I've ever met, and reasonable pricing.

https://www.dreamydrawdental.com/

I've never done one of those Aspen Dental or chain dental places.

[West Phx Native]

I am the biggest chickens, but found the best dentist ever, he is in North Phx, 59th ave north of Bell, www.tonyvalenzueladmd.com

[Sno0909]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

Before my daughter worked on my teeth during her 3rd and 4th year at school, I tried finding two local Suprise dentists. A lot of these dentists offer lost leader $39 or $59 1st time visits. I just wanted to find someone local in AZ. The 1st one was Aspen. During the exam, they said I have "deep pockets" which is the probe tests measuring how tight your gums are against your teeth. I didn't trust their numbers (the higher the number the "deeper the pockets" or what is defined as periodontitis).

Anyways, they were testing and barking out 4-5-4-5-4-3-4 and those #'s represent how many millimeters of depth you have. Mind you, I knew these numbers were wrong. That's because I called my MN dentists and they said I was mostly 2 mm and an occasional 3 mm. And no 4, 5, or 6 mm depths. The deep cleaning procedure to clean is spendy. i.e. $1K to $3K per treatment. Psst: the dentist gets 30% of that amount. READ https://www.healthline.com/health/pe...%20antibiotics.

Like you said, Aspen was pushing plans and insurance. I took my $50 cleaning and went on my merry way knowing I would never go back. Next time, I tried these guys in Surprise https://www.canyonmoderndentistry.co...intment.html#/ . The lobby had 4 people filling out their info into onsite computers. As in, I was the administration for myself?! During my visit with the very nice dentist, I explained about my Aspen experience to let them know I'm "in the know". I mentioned that how Aspen tried to scam me on deep pockets. He chuckles and did XRay's. We also talked about how our daughter was going to school for dental school in AZ and other small talk.

They spend a ton of time as to why they are the best. Like having the corperate backing to buy the state of the art equipment. Next, they dumped me out to the lobby without cleaning my teeth. I got called back up to the front desk where the receptionist informed me that "I had deep pockets" and how expensive it was. She recommended insurance where if I give them something like $200 a year of a no-name insurance company it would drop it down to around $1500 a cleaning. I said, "no thanks, I'll just take the regular cleaning". They said nope! They would have a liability if they cleaned my deep pocket teeth. I verified that's categorically false even if someone had deep pockets. I was firm with her letting her know I knew exactly what was going on and why. She told me to pound sand and the dentist refused to see me.

The next day, I got in fast because of a cancelation at this private practice dentist Surprise Dentist | Martineau Dentistry | Cosmetic Dentistry Surprise AZ 85379 . No $49 cleaning. Rather, $190 for the 1st appointment. I didn't say a word as they barked out 2-2-2-3-2-2-2-3-3-2-2. I then asked "don't I have deep pockets" and they said no. He was being as politically correct as I can and simply said "no, you don't have deep pockets" and would not touch the real reason (a money grab). I was able to fill in the rest later as I got to know a lot of her fellow classmates when they entered private practice. As in, we literally talked about their pressure to "produce". If you don't, you get fired. And if you do, you make a lot of $$'s. So they are off selling payment plans on overpriced procedure to some broke customer. They said that is the reality. Not-so-smart people==good profits.

A good reporter could blow the lid on this moneygrab scam. And the "deep pockets" is the go-to abuse in dentistry as well as going after cavities before you should. Meaning when you heard the denist tell the hygenist "put that on tooth on watch". That meant we are delying filling the tooth (it's better to wait). A greedy dentist is going to fill and drill at the earliest opportunity and thereby weakening your enamel. Also, it's often not necessary to drill-and-fill (read https://www.sciencealert.com/no-dril...ways-necessary ).

Yep, I went in for a cleaning and I left with a pamphlet on deep pockets and a lecture on how my gums needed to be fixed ASAP. What a joke.

[klotone]

Great advice everyone! I'll check out the links. Thank you!

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Sno0909

Yep, I went in for a cleaning and I left with a pamphlet on deep pockets and a lecture on how my gums needed to be fixed ASAP. What a joke.

Gee, I must have had a lucky guess.

[phoenixdds26]

Just a suggesstion, as a current dental student. If time is not a concern, I would suggest going to either Arizona School of Dentistry in Mesa or Midwestern University School of Dentistry in Glendale. The dental schools offer top-notch care, excellent clinical professors and oversight and you are helping us student hone our skills. The idea is not to make a profit so fees are 50% of private practice and the technology is next to none. Everything is done with multiple checks by clinical faculty to ensure quality. Just a suggestion....