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Judge a dentist on how you’re treated, consultant advises

Dental chain’s closing reflects price of retail dentistry trend

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By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writer Updated 10:58 PM Saturday, January 8, 2011

National retail dental service chains often employ independent dentists who outsource office management functions to a home company, then operate under that home company’s umbrella.

“It boils down to providing access to care for the portion of the population that doesn’t currently feel that they have it,” Kasey Pickett, a spokeswoman for East Syracuse, N.Y.-based chain Aspen Dental, said in an e-mail to the Dayton Daily News. “Aspen Dental dentists and staff are focused on breaking down the functional and emotional barriers that have kept (those lacking a regular dentist or consistent pattern of dental care) from getting the oral care they need.”

Pickett spoke in the wake of the collapse late last month of Allcare Dental & Denture. It’s unknown how many patients were left in the lurch nationwide, but Allcare told the Michigan attorney general’s office that it had offices in 14 states, including Ohio. Allcare operated two offices in the Dayton area.

Christopher Baker, a dentist with offices in Washington Twp. and North Dayton, said new dentists sometimes graduate with $200,000 in debt while facing another $400,000 or more in expenses to equip new practices. Chain operations can be an attractive way to begin careers, he said.

“The problem is, these dentists are not attached to the practice,” Baker said. “They don’t have any stake in the game.”

Teresa Duncan, an Alexandria, Va.-based management consultant to dental offices, agreed that starting a dental office is expensive. Retail clinics and chains boast purchasing power, she said.

Duncan called Allcare’s behavior a “disservice” to dentists, but advised against generalizing against chains. The trend in dentistry these days is toward consolidation, she said.

“I would say trust your instincts when you choose” a dentist, Duncan said.

Duncan advised Allcare patients who have paid for uncompleted work to contact credit cards companies or banks and try to stop payments or dispute charges.

Judge dental offices on how they treat patients, in the office and on the phone, Baker said. Be wary of situations where a different practitioner sees you at each visit, he added.

Said Baker, “The No. 1 thing I would like is for someone I could trust.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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