Eagle River Dental Center

I hadn't been to dentist for several years, I asked a friend for a referral and she said that she'd had a client who had seen a dentist in Eagle River who had made payment arrangements for expensive procedures. As I needed work that exceeded my insurance payment I expected that this was what I needed.



I called the office, the phone was answered by a nearly polite lady who booked my initial appointment. I’d asked briefly about payment arrangements, she denied knowing anything. Upon arrival at the office I noticed in the paperwork a check box to indicate whether or not I would like to discuss payment arrangements. At the conclusion of the appointment I scheduled a follow up visit in which my work would be done. I was told to expect to need to pay in excess of $750.00. I complained, insisting that I had a brief discussion about this, indicated same on their new patient paperwork and had not had the expected discussion. At this time I was told that there were no payment arrangements to be had nor open for discussion. I then asked them to prepare a reasonable estimate of what I could expect to pay after the insurance payment. They stated that they had given that to me. I explained that I would find it very difficult to come up with nearly $800 and that based on my discussions with their office, their documentation that I expected other consideration. After intense debate about how to accommodate them I arrived at the conclusion that I could borrow against my retirement to fund this work. I told them that I would proceed to attempt this and would call a week before the appointment to confirm that I had been able to do so. Before I could call I rec'd a certified communication containing my xrays and a letter declining me as a patient.



I called and asked about this and was told that I had been rude, which in my opinion under the circumstances is quite untrue. I am an upstanding and well respected member of the Eagle River community, the President of a statewide and widely recognized arts organization based a scant mile away from this mans office and am considered anything but rude in my sphere of influence. I have a reputation of making things work despite challenges and believe that reasonable people attempting reasonable things can always negotiate to a reasonable outcome.

I do not however tolerate misrepresentation of any kind, particularly of this nature. I am of the opinion that the person who made the initial appointment had been given instructions to propagate initial appointments as these are for the most part easy, involve little of the dentists time (I got ten minutes) and result in a higher than average charge. In my occupation I deal with professionals of many sorts and fortunately find this sort of behavior rare but when it occurs I am reticent to do nothing about it. I urge you, should you find yourself in my circumstances accept no commitments from this office unless they are put in writing. The result of this event has for a short time crippled my retirement savings and placed my needed dental work at risk (my insurance pays only so much) as this man has in essence taken payment and given me less than it's value. I have no respect for people who cheat the system either on purpose or if by accident if they are unwilling to even attempt to correct it.