Lorre Otd
map-marker Lakeland, Florida

Aspen Dental - Follow up to my original post

As a follow up to my original post. I had to go to another dentist after Aspen refused to fix their "kindergarden school project" they started in my mouth. He x-rayed just one of the two teeth (because that was all I could afford since I'm still paying Aspen for causing this problem to begin with) and he could see that not only did they not put a post in so the tooth would not be wiggly and break at the gum line, but they did not completely fill the hole they drilled in the tooth, so it has abscessed. That is why the chronic infection. It's been almost four month now that I've had constant infection or been on antibiotics. It hurts so badly! Not to mention the taste in my mouth is awful. I'm already disabled and on S.S./Dis. I had a stroke a couple years ago and my heart is giving me problems now, I think from all the infection. I wish I had never gone into that place. I was in no pain from my teeth at all when I went, I just wanted to get the breaks repaired so I did not look like a monster, but no. Instead I now have two dead grey teeth, a dark purple gum, permanent nerve deadness in my face (above my lip area to my nose) from their root canal), constant pain and discomfort, and chronic infection. I've emailed the company, written the company, been into the office complaining, and answered all their *** surveys they sent me with "wanting to be contacted", but they NEVER respond. I wish I had an attorney because I believe I might have a decent case. Aspen is a butcher farm. They want you to lose all your teeth so they can sell you dentures. And if your teeth aren't falling out fast enough for them, they will kill them to speed things up a bit. This place and their practices SHOULD be against the law. HELP!
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Loss:
$4000
Reason of review:
Damaged or defective

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

2 comments
Guest

Sounds like aspen really messed you up. Tell everyone you know and maybe they will get shut down.

Guest

It is a shame to hear old and disabled patients like you taken care of.

If you bring a malpractice case, it will only hurt the employee dentist who did your treatment. That is the trouble with corporate clinics that are actually operating illegally.

Boards of dentistry have no power to punish corporate executives who have no dental licenses.

The only thing you can do is bring the case before your state attorney-general, citing A$pen's lack of response at your complaint. If enough patients like you complain, the attorney general might fine them, like has happened in four states.

So far, however, no state attorney general has had the guts to close them down.

Don't ever use a corporate dental chain clinic again. Always seek the care of a dentist who owns his practice and has a vested interest in maintaining a good reputation in the community.

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Lorre Otd
map-marker Lakeland, Florida

Beware of ASPEN DENTAL not standing behind their work.

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Beware of ASPEN DENTAL not standing behind their work.
Updated by user Jul 29, 2016

I still have constant infection and the two teeth are very loose and wiggly now, and so dark grey! I had to spend another $100 dollars to have just one tooth x-rayed.

The dentist said he can see that they (Aspen Dental) did not put in any rods and the tooth will break at the gum line eventually. He also said that the filler was not put in properly and there were gaps between the filler and my gums that have now abscessed. I've done five rounds of antibiotics now and am still having a terrible time with infection. I had a stroke a few years ago and I keep having horrible chest pains and palpatations now which I believe are happening from all the chronic infection from the shoddy root canals.

I've written, emailed and been to the office multiple times asking for help. The most they will do is write a script for more antibiotics. This is no way to live! I wish I had never gone into that place.

Something goes wrong and they shove you out the door. Leaving you to deal with the mess they made in your mouth. And I guess this is supposed to be acceptable service for which you pay? How is that.

Are there no lawyers out there for this? I'm ready!

Updated by user Jun 10, 2016

This is a photo of my broken teeth BEFORE Aspen worked on them.

Original review Jun 09, 2016
Yes, I fell and broke two teeth. There was no bleeding or pain from the teeth, just the lip they cut and my jaw where it was bruised from the fall. I went to Aspen Dental two weeks later and was told to come back in four weeks for another exam. The two teeth wiggled but I could brush normally and eat just fine, it just looked awful. When I returned four weeks later they said I needed to extract the teeth or have two root canals because they would eventually turn gray or black. I am disabled and on Medicare so I cannot afford basic needs just to survive in life and of course have no insurance for teeth. They said they wanted to help me out and if I agreed to let them, they would conduct two root canals for a reduced price and let me pay on time. However, I had to let them do it right then. I thought "how wonderful" I would not look so scary anymore. They did both canals right then, x-raying and probing several times as the worked. I left with some strange looking teeth but they told me to come back the following week for temp fillings. I left still able to eat and brush without pain. Upon returning for fillings the woman did not even let my gums numb before digging in my mouth with a needle and she was so rough I was crying. I never cried once during a double root canal the week before. She was so rough I actually tried to stop her at one point by grabbing at her hand! I left in tears telling everyone how badly it hurt. I could not brush or eat normally and if I even wiped my nose I would be in great pain. Three weeks later, I returned with concerns about how the pain kept getting worse, not better. They took an x-ray and told me I needed to have the teeth extracted now or go to a specialist. There specialist wanted $120 just to walk in the door. I can't afford to get the teeth fixed now and I'm still paying Aspen for ruining my teeth. I could eat and brush before going in there, and now, I have a constant migraine in my face and head, have lost lots of weight because I cannot eat normally, can't brush normally, and my teeth hurt every time I move my lips and I seem to have chronic infection now. And they are grey in color and one filling fell right out. I truly wished I had NEVER walked into that place. And I have notified them several times and all I'm told is "well we tried to help you"..... yeah but when something goes wrong, your on your own. Quite typical, but NOT very professional at all. It has made me very sick! Just be aware.
View full review
Loss:
$5000
Pros:
  • Young red haired woman in finance
Cons:
  • Shoddy work
  • Woman who roughly filled my teeth
  • Lack of accountability
Reason of review:
Bad quality

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

7 comments
Guest

And they have the nerve to start putting free exams on tv!!! Go to Smile for life.

I researched and found out that they are awesome and will work with you. And believe me my teeth are not to smile about.

But they will be. Goodluck!!

Guest

Very typical for aspen. They need to move to china where their supplies (junk) come from.

Guest

When a patient has trauma to teeth so they are loosened, the usual protocol is to splint the teeth together with a bonded wire to stabilize them. Almost all the time they eventually need a root canal.

Usually we wait for some healing to occur from the trauma, then start the roots canals in a couple of weeks or so.

Sometimes when the teeth are broken and look ugly, we do a filling right away, even when we know they will have to have root canals.

If the fall loosened the teeth so much, chances are you had periodontal diseases before your fall, which is certainly not A$pen's fault.

Sorry, but what happened in your accident was very complicated and labor-intensive to treat. You really cannot expect any practice to do all the treatment you needed for next to nothing and lose money. This is why we all need some savings stashed away to get us through unexpected bad turns in life.

However, you probably could have done a lot better going to a private dentist.

This is one of the reasons it is important to belong to a church or synagogue, where members work together to help each other through difficulties like yours.

Lorre Otd
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1171030

Thank you for your long distant diagnosis of my condition of my teeth, having NEVER seen me or my mouth or xrays. If the normal protocol, as you stated, was to bond the teeth together then they even failed to mention (let alone perform) that step.

I was told if I did not have the root canals I would lose the teeth. That was it! Extraction or root canals were the only two treatments mentioned (and that was before they knew my financial status). I did not ask them to do it for free either.

They offered to do it at the discounted price because of my financial situation. And they are the ones that said I had to do it right then that day. That should not mean I deserve whatever I get. And why should my dental issues have anything to do with my church relations.

My church is not responsible for my dental work. We have a congregation made up of mostly of retired and disabled elderly people. I really feel that a huge company that advertises on television how professional they are, should be held somewhat accountable for what they say and do. Far more than my church or it's members.

But hey, I guess that's your opinion. Just like the your opinion of the condition of my teeth before the fall.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Lorre Otd

Watch out because aspen will yank out every tooth that walks into their office. Terrible scammers!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Lorre Otd

From the photo you posted, the most logical course of action would be:

1. Splint the teeth with a bonded wire if they are loose.

2.

Repair the chip with bonded resin for the time being- much cheaper than a crown. A typical fee for this might be around $300.

3. Do root canals once the pulps are confirmed to be dead. If the teeth have changed color, bleach can be inserted in the space above the root canal.

Typical fee for a root canal on a front tooth is $550-$750.

4. After the color is lightened, put permanent fillings in the back of your teeth. Typical fee is about $170 each.

This should hold you for a while. If the bonded fillings break, your option is to do cast posts and crowns.

This is what will really be expensive because it involves lab work. I don't believe any ads I see on TV. Anyone can pay to say anything in a TV ad. Professionals who advertise on TV are typically crooks.

I only mention church because I have had congregations want to help members in need dentally, and I have assisted in the past. Not all churches function this way, however.

Lorre Otd
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1171472

Thank you for the information. Wish I had been told all that before I went to Aspen and they did their root canals and fillings (one fell out within two weeks).

They only gave me two options - two root canals RIGHT NOW, or extraction of the teeth. They are grey in color now and I still have intense pain in my face all the way up to my forehead. If I wipe my nose the pain makes my eyes water. I have chronic headaches and am on my third round of antibiotics.

Can hardly stand to eat or brush them. When I sleep, just the pressure from the pillow on the side of my face makes it almost impossible. And when I talk, the movement of my lip against the teeth, make me talk without closing my mouth because it hurts that badly. They just gave me the boot out the door when I returned for help and said I needed them extracted now.

I am still paying on my bill and will have them paid off by the third of next month. I think the way they chose to handle it was extremely unprofessional. If I could of waited for the root canals, instead of having to do it right then, I would of read all the similar complaints from other patients and would not of had it done there at all. I just thought "how wonderful" and actually said a little prayer thanking God right there in the finance office when they said they were going to help me that day.

I just wished I had never walked in there. I'm new in this area, live way out in the woods here, and don't know a soul here. So I saw their ad on the television and thought "wow, a free exam and xrays". All I asked them for was options for how to fix them so I did not look so scary.

The rest was all their own idea. I'm posting my experience so hopefully others will be aware of the issues I had with them, and to possibly help someone else avoid from having to pay the price I have for their "expertise" service.

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