Bark

A while back, the dentist that I was seeing (there are only two dentists in our area) wanted to perform a “deep cleaning” on my wife and myself. Even with insurance it was going to be expensive and having heard some differing opinions in regard to the procedure, I questioned him and finally told him I wasn’t going to do it. After some debate, he fired us and said I couldn’t be seen by him unless I was going to do as he said.

Because I routinely spend time in CA I got a dentist down there. He is far cheaper than this guy up here, far less painful and he told me that for most people the deep cleaning (and some other procedures) is a rip off.

I tried to get my files from my old dentist to give my new dentist. Old dentists office said that I cant. They say that I had signed something stating that the files are their property. Because I cant see my old file I cant tell if they are lying.

Oh well. At least I now have a dentist who seems to care about us.

soulezoo

You are better off!

t-15 firefighter

Man I've never even heard of something like this (much less the "deep cleaning"). Could you not file something under HIPA? Even though he is a Dr. it is still YOUR files and personal information. You should have access to them. I am certainly no expert on this though.

Britt

Clayten

Sign a paper to request your files with your new dentist and he will send it to your old dentist.The old dentist has to forward it to the new dentist.

Fronty Owner

I went thru the same thing with an optometrist.

really, it doesn't matter, in the first visit, a good doctor will know pretty much everything.

DaveB.inVa

That dentist had it all backwards. Your the customer and pay him so you should have some say in what goes on. Id give him an ear full.

Lary Ellis (Top)

Tell your former doctor to keep your files, but your hard earned dollars will be going to another from now on.

Clayten

When a Dr. requests a patience files from another Dr. he is legally bound to send them on. If he does not and some thing happens to you in the care of the other Dr. The previous Dr. is negligent and legally liable.
I have been through this and I got my files.

04ctd

dentist & orthodontist are all quacks

Dr's are like mechanics, some are good, and some are bad.

the problem is bad is REAL BAD when it's your health

we have braces now, and the DR won't tell me crap.

i paid him $4k EACH for braces, and he don't WANT to talk to me?

screw him. i made a special appointment, and went BACK up there, and made him tell me what i wanted to know.

what it boils down too:
they are too stupid to put the brackets on straight the first time (did your Grandparents ever say: "a job worth doing is worth DOING RIGHT"?)

so now, my teeth are jacked around, and they have to do a "Re-positioning" where they go back, and put the brackets on level & straight, and then you wear them another few months to get the teeth straight.

mine were better BEFORE the braces.

wurkenman

Sounds like the only place he is the boss is at the office. He gets to order his patients around. When he gets home he has to take out the trash, vacuum the carpets and do the dishes. just keep that in mind and you can have a laugh at his expense.

displacedtexan

As far as the records, he owns the paper. The info is yours. My wife works at a Dr. office(9 Dr. group), did all the record filing for a while...

ilmbg

Any medical (dental is considered medical) chart/history is legally yours. Request it writing, by certified mail. Ask for the records within 10 days. If it is not done, notify the American Dental Association- 211 East Chicago Ave,. Chicago, IL 60611 Phone 312 440-2500. If the dentist is practicing under HIPAA law, he must give them to you. Also, state law may apply. You may have to pay a 'nominal' cost for him to make copies, but even if your bill is not paid in full, he must do so. Don't let this idiot bully you- he is just po'd that you aren't going the expensive way. He will try to treat more people like this. He needs to be reprimanded for his behavior. It is easy to ask for the records- if he refuses, it is also easy to follow through. You can also go to your state, or local association, if there is a local. What state do you live in? Do you have serious gum desease that has failed to respond to conservative treatment and antibiotics? Both of you? Request your records promptly- don't give him time to alter your records- it happens.

farmer0_1

i went to a dentist for a while and he wanted to do all he could to run up the bill on the insurance. i ask him about this and that and he finally said in so many words not to worry the ins. would pick it up . last visit i ever made with him. i have since found a cash and carry dentist and have dropped my dental ins. most all doctors and dentist have to be reminded of who is paying the bills. i have some family that are doctors and i wouldn't let him trim my nails let alone something important. most doctors are like everyone else these days . self important and don't know squat.

CD in NM

I am a doctor, the law is clear, he MUST upon written request supply you with your files. Send him a registered letter, give him 10 days to comply, tell him in the letter to send you a bill for whatever his fee is to copy your records. You can have them sent to your new dentist OR to yourself. He IS legally responsible for any future problems you might have by not complying to your request, a transfer of information relieves him of future liability.

If he does not comply, have an attorney wirte him a letter, ususally an attorney charges a nominal fee for letter wirting, that usually gets them motivated to comply. Contact the Dental Association of your state, also contact you insurance company, he may have billed them for work he did not do and uses his method of conrol to cover this, request an audit of his services.

You could actually call him and one more time ask him for the information. If he still refuses tell him you are going to have your insurance company do an audit of his services and also have the new dentist verify he has performed them. That should get the paperwork to you without delay.

CD

cbtumedic

That dentist has to operate under HIPPA if he is billing insurance and he is practicing in the US. All healthcare providers in the US are bound to HIPPA laws. That information is yours and he must send it to your new dentist if requested. I don't believe he has to just hand it over to you in the office, but he may be legally bound to send a copy if you send him a certified letter requesting the records. That is something to look into.