I had about 8 appts. with Aspen Dental. At very first appt., the dentist and I discussed previous medical issues and I informed him that I was not under a doctor's care and was on no medications or anything. They continued making appts., which I faithfully kept, took xrays, made impressions, etc. The end result was that I was to have all top teeth extracted and dentures made. I have no insurance so was informed of the cost, which I paid in cash. At about 6 pm on the night before the extractions were to be done, I received a phone call saying that the dentist would not do the procedure until I had a release from a doctor. Of course, this was AFTER they took my money and I had made arrangements to miss a week of work, not to mention that someone else had to take time off of work to take me to appt.
I informed them that I would be in the following day to pick up my CASH since they refused to extract the teeth. They told me that they would have to submit it to their main office and IF APPROVED, I would receive a check in approximately 2 weeks! I told them I did not pay by check and did not want a check in 2 weeks. I wanted the cash back NOW! They weren't willing to wait for me to pay them in 2 weeks, why should I be willing to wait for a check?????
Now, I am sitting with extreme pain, no money, and missed time from work!
BEWARE OF PAYING UP FRONT!!!

Do NOT go! I went to Aspen Dental in Wausau, WI due to there advertising prices for dentures. I have had dentures for several years due to an accident and all I needed was to have a tooth on my denture reattached. I waited over an half an hour for my appointment. At first everything seemed on the up and up. All of the staff seemed very professional, the entire visit from the xrays to the exam was smoothly executed. I was then taken to the office manager where I was told I had SIGNIFICANT dental issues, I NEEDED 2 teeth extracted IMMEDIATELY (I didn't even have a toothache!!) and I had to pay $1799 UP FRONT! I have dental insurance but they don't take the insurance that the state of Wisconsin uses for it's employees!!? I have the recommended procedure. I ask to take the teeth home that they extracted but they said I couldn't due to the large abcesses attached to the teeth (couldn't see any abcesses just what looked 1 molar cut in half). I was immediatley fitted with a partial that caused me undue agony, it was so ill fitted that I couldn't swallow, eat or talk. I finally took them out and my extreme discomfort abated almost instantly. After adjustments I was able to talk in a garbled manner and very gingerly eat. 3 weeks after the partial was made I was eating a torn off piece of fresh bread and the partial broke in half! I took it back in for repair when I had my next adjustment appointment and cleaning. Like all of the other appointments, they were very late in getting to me. This time it was over an hour. The office manager had to talk to me first and told me that I had to pay for my cleaning up front. I was appalled! I had asked repeatedly if this was included in the $1799 I had prepaid when the cleaning appointment was made. I was assured that it was. Now I was supposed to pay over a $200 for a cleaning???? They told me that it was so costly because I had a bacterial infection that was caused my lack of flossing! I was incredulous!! I floss obsessively! My companaions all tease me about it! I refused the cleaning. I asked that they repair my partial as I was emceeing a major fundraiser that weekend and did not want to do it with missing teeth. This was a Wednesday. Due to their inhouse lab the repair would be completed the next day and delivered to me via UPS, ensuring that I would have the partial by Friday. Well, I didn't have the partial by Friday, or the next Friday or the next Friday! In the meantime I lose the emcee job due to my lack of teeth, my supervisor took my off of my waitressing nights due to my lack of teeth. I lost over $1, 000 of income. The office manager told me that the assistant had mailed, via the US Postal Service, the partial to their corporate office in Syracuse, NY - clear across the country beacause it would be less expensive for Syracuse to mail it to me. The address that I gave for the UPS delivery is not a USPS address therefore I would not get the package as it would be returned as undeliverable. I spoke to the postmaster regarding the situation and was assured that she would watch for a package with my name on it (it is a very small post office) and would notify me upon it's arrival. I never got a call from the Post Office but finally got a call from Aspen Dental in Wausau that they had received the returned package and they delivered it overnight to me. When I received the package I understood the problem. They had not put a name on the package, the office manager did not think this was a problem. I was finally able to get Aspen to refund 7/8th of the money I had paid but they would only refund it to a credit card. Now I owe my dental insurance $984 and can not have any work done until this is repaid. I went in to get a tooth reattched to my denture, lost teeth, got a partial that I can not eat with, owe my insurance company money and still do not have my tooth reattched to my denture. DO NOT GO THERE!!!

Went to Aspen Dental to get full upper and lower dentures. There estimate was just about $9000.00 for extractions and the mid-grade dentures! When asked for an itemized bill they told me they couldn't give me one! What? I have a partial on my top already so its not like they are extracting all my teeth and a few missing on the bottom too. Has anyone ever heard of dentures and extractions costing so much? And of not being able to get an itemized bill!? I would have to pay a little over $7000 out of my own money shouldn't I be able to see what I am paying for?

The following takes place after just one visit to Aspen Dental:

After using the same dentist for 15+ years, I had a change in insurance and was forced to find a different dentist. Despite all of the complaints I had read about Aspen Dental, I chose to go through a new patient visit and have x-rays taken. After waiting for 30 minutes past my scheduled appointment time I was finally called in for my x-rays. Following the x-rays I was directed back towards the area where the dental chairs were (which all had tv's attached to them...expensive?). I sat there and watched CSPAN for another 25-30 minutes before the dentist came over to talk with me. After glancing at my x-rays she told me that she already saw a few cavities. She finally came over to examine my mouth. She mumbled something about more cavities and gingivitis, never giving me a good explanation of what she saw. Now, I had waited 1 year after my last cleaning (and I had regularly gone for cleanings every 6 months for the past 15 years or so), so I thought maybe it was possible that I had a cavity or two. She told me I had 8! And she told me that there are two more that I need to keep an eye on because they could become cavities. I was shocked. I'm not going to say I brush after every meal or floss every day, but I take pretty good care of my teeth. I thought there was no way I had 8 cavities. But I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I sat down to talk to the "financial advisor" about the treatment I would need. Still shocked from learning I had 8 cavities I listened to the financial advisor tell me that a cleaning, some flouride treatment, and the filling of all 8 of my cavities would cost me $725 AFTER INSURANCE. What??!! Since I was recently laid off, there was no way I could fork over that kind of money upfront, so he convinced me to apply for a CareCredit account where I could make payments over 18 months to pay for the treatment. I scheduled my next appointments (the cleaning and the fillings) and left fairly upset.

I didn't get very far before a little something called cognitive dissonance kicked in. I felt like I was being ripped off. After confiding in some friends they felt the same way. I went back to Aspen to speak with the financial advisor and go over the charges line by line. According to my calculations, 8 cavities should run me $400 after insurance. What was the other $325? In the line items, there was a toothbrush that they were going to 'give' me for $135 (not covered by insurance); A full mouth debridement for my 'periodontal disease' $50; some mouthwash for $24; irrigation (?) for $35; some toothpaste for $24; and the list goes on. Most of those items were not covered by insurance.

I ended up calling my old dentist (who I trust a great deal) and asking him if he could check out my mouth and see if I really do have 8 cavities and gingivitis. He agreed to a limited consultation. I went to him a few days later and told him where they thought the cavities were. After a close examination (of 15 minutes or so - which was longer than the lady at Aspen looked at my teeth for) he told me that I have 1 cavity. ONE. Maybe two. NOT EIGHT! I was pretty mad. I told him about how they said I had gingivitis and they suggested that I have a debridement done. His demeanor went from disbelief to anger. He knew they were ripping me off. He explained how someone would need a debridement if they had hunks of tartar and what he called "calculus" on their teeth and bleeding gums etc. I have none of that. In fact, he took pictures of my teeth to show how I didn't have any problems like that. Then he showed me pictures of someone who did need debridement...yuck. As I said, he was upset that a dental office would be doing that to patients and charging them so much for it. He told me not to worry about paying for my consultation. I thought that was very nice of him.

I cancelled my appointments at Aspen Dental. I found out a week later that when they opened that line of credit so that I could pay for the future services, they already charged me the $725. They didn't do anything to me yet! I called and had them reverse it, told them I wouldn't be coming back and explained why. I wasn't mean. If the lady on the phone was willing to listen I would tell her the truth. She told me to be aware that different dentists have different opinions. Then she explained to me that when she came to Aspen Dental for a check-up, they told her she had periodontal disease too with 3 and 4 mm pockets (just like me) and her old dentist missed it because he was old and didn't keep up on his continuing education. I don't know how she could give me advice on dental work since she is a financial advisor...plus she works there! I'm sure she's paid to say they are the best.

I'm just still really frustrated with Aspen. I highly advise you to stay away from this chain. It's not worth the headache. Good luck to you in your search for a good dentist. As for me, I'm working on changing my insurance so that I can go back to my original dentist.

I was seen in the office for a first time patient visit. I scheduled the appointment online. NO WHERE does it say that you will not get a cleaning on the first visit. I have never heard of such a thing. Anyway, I was taken back for my visit (late of course) and a person did x-rays. Not once did she state her name or what she did there. It took her and her co-worker 25 minutes to do a full set of x-rays. My mouth was all cut up and they didn't ask if I was ok. They then escorted me to the exam room. I waited for 30 minutes. No one came by to let me know the dr. was running behind. No one checked on me to see if I needed anything or needed to reschedule. NOTHING. An elderly gentleman came into the exam room next to me and waited. The dr. came in and looked at my chart and then looked at him and said "who was here first". I said "me, but go ahead and see him". She finished with him, looked at my chart, saw I was a first time patient and said "let me look at your x-rays"...so she did that then came over to me and said "Open up" NOT ONCE did she say who she was. She finished her 30 second exam and told me I had a cavity and says "did you know that"...well duh, no I didn't know that...that's why I'm here. Then she tells me to go make an appointment with the office manager. I asked about the cleaning and was told the hygeinist wasn't in that day. I didn't make a follow up appointment but told the office manager that the online scheduling didn't say anything about not getting a cleaning on the first visit. She then says "Well it's your first visit, why would you expect a cleaning?" I DON'T KNOW, CALL ME CRAZY BUT THAT'S WHAT YOUR PRACTICE DOES!!!

So the next day I went back to claim my dental records because no way was I going to continue going to this establishment. I asked to speak with the office manager again. I told her I was bothered by the unprofessionalism in her office the day prior. She was very hostile and told me "well if you were concerned about who the dr may or may not have been you should have asked". Then she apparently got up and asked the dr. if this was true. She came back and proceeded to tell me that the dr remembered me...(HOW COULD SHE...SHE ONLY SAW ME FOR 30 SECONDS...THERE WAS NOTHING TO REMEMBER!) and said she absolutely introduced herself. i said "ok, fine. that's not what happened." the office manager then said..."well I'm not going to take your word for it...I have to go with what my dr. said" She also told me that it isn't necessary for her staff, other than the dr., to introduce themselves.

I'm a nurse and my boyfriend is a physician and if either of us EVER treated a patient in this manner we would be in a world of trouble.

Shame on Aspen Dental in Camillus, NY for having absolutely NO CLASS. Shame on Melanie the office manager for having no manners whatsoever...and shame on Dr. Vincent for not coming out and rectifying the situation with a patient (if she was even notified). I wouldn't recommed my dog to your office.