‘Astronomical’: Patient happy with dental work, but not the bill

CHARLOTTE — Trasha Black says her mother, Sylvia Grier, was born in Charlotte and has been a business and community advocate “since she was a young lady.”

“She’s got the Governor’s award. She’s gotten a White House award,” Black told Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke.

But then, Grier had dental problems.

“My mother had to have all of her teeth removed during Covid,” she said. “And since then, she’s had trouble eating. She’s had denture after denture that didn’t fit well.”

That’s bad enough for anyone, but especially for someone who isn’t done with public speaking.

“I think it really impacted self-esteem,” Black said.

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Black says Grier wanted implants, priced out three dentists, and liked ClearChoice. She says the price was going to be $40,000.

“That’s a car,” Black said.

Black says the dentist agreed to do it for $33,000. She acknowledges the paperwork her mother signed said $40,000, not $33,000.

Black says insurance wouldn’t cover it, which is common. She says the office offered financing and they went with it, but she says the bill was for the full $40,000.

“I just want our seniors to be treated fairly,” she said.

In fairness, Black says, her mother is happy with the work, just not the bill.

Now, Black is the one playing the role of advocate, pushing for change.

“I think it’s such a touchy and important issue when you don’t have teeth and people are desperate,” she said. “So they’re willing to pay these astronomical costs to get what they believe, or know, that they need, and I think they take full advantage of it, of that desperation.”

ClearChoice emailed Action 9, “We take all concerns seriously and remain committed to ensuring every patient feels informed and supported throughout their care journey. While we cannot comment on the specifics of any individual’s care due to patient privacy laws, we can share that our supported practices follow a thorough and transparent process to ensure patients understand their treatment plans and associated costs before moving forward with care. We understand that a family member has expressed concerns related to billing. If there was an agreed-upon discount or unresolved question, we are happy to review it — but we respectfully request to do so directly with the patient, in keeping with our commitment to privacy and personalized care.”

If you need major dental work:

First, see if ‘dental’ insurance covers it. If not, maybe ‘medical’ does.
Ask your dentist about discounts and payment plans. Make sure you get any of those in writing.
If you have an FSA or HSA, that could save you big.
As for the rest: consider using a credit card. It’s easier to dispute a charge. You may even want a new one if it has 0% interest and you can pay it off on time.
And if you end up financing the procedure, make sure you know who the lender is: the dentist office or a third party. So you know who you’re paying. Then, be sure to read their terms and conditions.
If you really feel wronged, you can always talk to a lawyer.

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