OK, I'm totally confused now. I’m looking into getting some dental insurance and I’m leaning toward Delta Dental Ins. They are of a PPO type (from what I’m reading) and Childers Dental on W. ML King Jr. is in their network.
Does anyone have any knowledge about The Childers Group and/or Delta Dental Ins? Or, can you recommend a dentist in our area and insurance?
http://www.improvingsmiles.com/
ReplyDeleteDr. Richard Kernagis and his wife Dr. Jennifer Wynn have an office on Busch Blvd.
Not exactly in the "hood" but they and their staff are great!
I go to Dr. Kumar on Central across from the high school...he has made painful procedures no where near as horrifying as I have previously experienced. Friendly staff, accommodating hours.
ReplyDeleteI have used Coast Dental and they are the biggest bunch of crooks. Dr Hite in Carrollwood is very good, but everytime you go, you feel like they are ripping you off. Each visit the hygenist makes you feel that if you don't drop $2g's your teet will fall out by the time you get to your car. I had finally had it with them and am looking for a new dentist myself for my family.
ReplyDeleteYes, Coast is a rip off...they have canned diagnosis' every time you go in, along with a canned price. I've gone to other dentists for a second opinion and they would find nothing to indicate I needed Coast's proposed treatment. (apparently, everyone over 25 has gum disease and needs $500+ worth of work to save their teeth)
ReplyDeleteBTW, I just joined CompCare dental plan-my employer's plan stunk and this is cheaper. If you belong to a credit union, you can get it even cheaper.
I strongly recommend Dr. Kumar....231-0072.
I'll third the recommendation for Dr. Kumar! I've had good expreriences there....and especially love the room that overlooks the garden!!
ReplyDeleteKumar, Kumar Kumar. I agree with everything said about him. I used him. Great guy. He has one room that looks into this very nice relaxing garden. He is on Central near Hillsborough Ave.
ReplyDeleteYank all the bitches out and get falsies- no more bills after that.
ReplyDeleteSo far I've had two dentists tell me it's going to cost $20,000 to get my teeth back in shape. I've always put teeth on the back burner no I'm paying for it. I like "Yank all the bitches out and get falsies- no more bills after that." I thought about that too.
ReplyDeleteNOTE: Take care of your teeth or they'll bit you in the butt.
I am currently undergoing orthodontic treatment in preparation for ridge augmentation (bone grafting) and dental implants....pretty major stuff.
ReplyDeleteI went to Dr. Kumar for about 3 years. He's fine for regular treatment and minor dental work such as fillings. However, he was always trying to "upsell" ,my husband on deep root cleanings and things of that nature. Then he told me that a couple of my teeth needed to be crowned. After a second opinion I was told that they were fine.
For major dental work (crowns, bridgework, etc.), I recommend you check around. After numerous recommendations, I started going to Dr. John Redd in South Tampa. He doesn't participate in any dental networks, so his fees are a little higher than I would pay elsewhere but his work is impeccable! If you're about to spend a ton of money on your teeth you need to find the right dentist. Ask to see before and after pictures of the same procedures you need to have done (especially if they are cosmetic procedures). Once you find the right dentist, then find out which insurance plans he/she participates in.
Keep in mind that most dental coverage plans only have a $1200 to $1500 annual max and they only cover 50% of the cost of major services.
used Childer's for one visit wasnt impressed at all. Found office wait long, staff unorganized and professionals very impatient (not knowing where supplies were etc.) Met with Dr. Childer's once to dispute a bill...very rude, attitude problem and a practice I wouldnt patronize again. In catagory of Coast Dental in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteYou might try Dr. Angela Rasmussen at Gentle Dentistry, 3500 E. Fletcher, 972-3500. Very good staff and perfect work. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteHi - just happened on this looking for ways to blend path and tiled patio on concrete slab... but really wanted to say I've been to dentist numerous times this last month in preparation for trip to Tampa mid apr. Delta Dental is our ins. Really been good to me. I found that emergency visits are the best though. Think it pays like 90% on those. I'm in WA state, don't know if ins varies with state.
ReplyDeleteI do not think you should use childers if you have ANY other alternative... go for the alternative. It's more like a cattle call than a dentist office.
ReplyDeleteNo mention of Albert Boholst?
ReplyDeleteWho's Albert Boholst?
ReplyDeleteIt did not seem quite as bustling as usual. Was attendence way down this year?
ReplyDeleteHyde Park Dental. 211 W. Swann suite 201. 251-3911.
ReplyDeleteMost pleasant and competent dentist office I have experienced.
I also would say that Childers is like a cattle shute/assembly line.
I have my dental work done in South America where my job often takes me-excellent work at a fraction of US prices. But previously I had visited Childers and truly disliked them. I asked for my x-rays and went elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteDr. McIlwain on Habana just north of MLK. They are great! www.mcilwaindentistry.com
ReplyDeleteI worked at Childers for three years...before I took a job at Coast's corporate office and subsequently retired. Aside from the fact that Childers made their money from being one of the largest Medicaid providers in the state before Medicaid dropped a lot of their dental coverage, they have a distaste for Dental managed care programs. If you have ADP or the Delta Care program or one of thousands of managed care programs, you can bet that your yearly exam will come around quicker than it takes them to schedule your the treatment appointments unless it is crown and bridge work, root canal therapy or full dentures. The reason is the chair time. They don't make money on the managed care programs if they bring you in for fillings and free cleanings (prophy). Your Delta Dental PPO is a great insurance and they will take you quickly. Even more so if you need crown and bridge work; the big money maker. Now with Coast, it is similar but they do get you in quicker because they have more offices and are not as dependent on those managed care capitation checks. Still all dental offices are there to make money and again crowns, bridges, rcts and full sets of dentures are the money makers. I know Pamela Hite personally as well as many of the Coast Dentists. I would suggest checking each for individual lawsuits,complaints, etc., Often times, dentists that have had "problems" in the past and need to work under 'supervision' will turn up in a large practice such as Coast. Other than that, I will say no more. As for Dr. Kumar. Never worked there; had friends who were assistants that did and they talked about his lab and his cold sterile area and how filthy it was compared to other dental offices. Granted assistants change with the prospect of earning more or having better hours so, it could be the ones in charge of that area at the time this was said were a bit lax. Personally, I would go with a private dentist and not a group. As for Boholst; been there and done that as a patient. Didn't tell them of my dental background as I like to see what is what for myself. Grace at the front desk when asked if they were a provider for Delta PPO said they did take my insurance. However, it turns out they were not "in network" and merely just took my insurance-in other words, she knew the dental terminology and understood my original question but,chose to say yes, we "take it" but are not providers. So, I had to pay the difference. She filed the claim faster than it took me to drive home so it wasn't long before the bill for the xrays and exam that should have been covered 100% came in. In addition, Boholst misdiagnosed me, saying I didn't need any fillings when I knew I did and instead wanted to talk about a bridge for my upper right molars to replace a crown that Coast clearly did a lousy job on and now will need to be totally removed. (It was free at the time so you get what you pay for)I took a copy of their treatment plan and went to a private dentist and lo and behold, the fillings were diagnosed. Still, Boholst struck me as nice man and huge Gator fan but, his assistant is not that personable or good and he did allow her to do procedures that by law, should have been done under close supervision by him before the patient left.
ReplyDeleteHave you checked out Ameriplan Dental Plus? They inspect the offices and check out the track record of dentists before they allow them to be on the provider list, and their discounts can be used along with your dental insurance so even after you hit your maximun dollar amount you still save $$. You can even check out whether they have providers in your area before you sign up on the website: www.BenefitsByRosie.com
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
I recently went to Dr. Kumar for the first time; the wait to be seen and then to be examined after x-rays were both quite long; all his rooms were filled, suggesting he juggles too many patients at once, to maximize income.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I go to a dentist expecting a professional, not a sales pitchmen. He was pushing cosmetic treatments, and orthodontics, which I had already had as a child, and neither my previous dentists in NYC nor the Senior supervising professor at NYU Dental Clinic (one of the best dental schools in the U.S.) ever suggested this as a necessary way to prevent gum disease, as Dr. Kumar did, making me quite suspicious. These things are quite lucrative, much more so than regular dental work.
He also gave nonresponsive answers to two different questions I asked, both of which I repeated in an attempt to get answers, with the same frustrating result. The exam was rushed. This was quite the opposite of my long term dentists in NYC.
Overall, I look at Dr. Kumar with a jaundiced eye and will have to think long and hard about whether to return.
I am a Dental Assistant of 22 years and yes there are alot of crap dentist out there and there are some great ones with alot of integrity. Coast Dental has some great dentist I have to stick up for Dr. Hite cause she is highly regarded as one of the great dentist that Coast has and really she is. I worked for Dr Kumar way back in the 80's and he was a good dentist great chairside manners and loved his patients. He taught me alot of the science behind the dental work that he did and he looks at it as what is the best treatment I can give to this patient that will last him the longest amount of time. I cannot beleive he has changed that drastically. Coast Dental has a great Hygene Department with a real committment to gingivitis and gum disease. It is not fair for you to complain that they want to rob you cause you have bad gums. Gum Disease is a silent Disease and it is just that a Disease. You can pass this Disease along to your partner by kissing them with the distugusting periodontal bugs that are growing an pooping inbetween your teeth and eating away at your gums and bone. Dental Ignorance is very very wide spread in this country and then when you go to the dentist and you are told you have the beginning stages of periodontal disease it cost alot of money that insurance doesn't usually cover. That is because insurance companies are 15 years behind the actual science of dentistry. So unfortunately it comes out of the patients pocket and the patient thinks that is robbing them when in fact NO it is not. So unless you have a degree in Dentistry and specialize in periodontics my suggestion is if you think a Dentist is yanking your chain take your FMX and go to a Periodontist. They are the specialists in gum disease. There are 5 stages to gum disease and each person needs to be told what stage they are in and if the disease can be arrested or if you will need to have periodontal maint. program for the rest of your life. Periodontal disease can travel through your blood stream and infect your heart. Yes that is why it is a DISEASE and it is recognized as a DISEASE by the Center for Disease Control in Alanta GA. It is communicable and left untreated can cause heart failure from the plaque traveling from your mouth to your heart. So before you bad mouth any Dental Office unless you have the Scientific background in Dentistry you need to take your x-rays and see a periodontist. I bet you will find the Dentist to be right on the money with your diagnosis.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add this comment which is very important. First of all do not let an insurance company dictate what type of dentistry you should have done in your mouth. The insurance companies are out to save a dollar not spend it. So be careful when choosing a dental insurance. The best kind of dental insurance is of course indemnity plan. And if you have to go with a PPO make sure you check the Dentist roster and pick a private practice. Discuss ALL findings with the Dentist before you have any work done. And make sure your Dentist is looking out for your LONG term interest. Any Dentist that doesn't tell you that you have several different dental options and present you with them for LONG TERM TREATMENT fix take your X-Rays and go somewhere else fast!! There isn't a Dentist out there that should not work up several different treatment plans to give to a patient. And you as the patient should be all involved in the treatment plan that is best for your LONG TERM health. Always remember to find out how long warrenties are on the work your having done in you mouth too. Get it in writing. Good luck and I hope you take my advice.
ReplyDeleteAll i got to say is avoid Coast Dental and Dr. Katz. This place is beyond belief...no work done, lots of appointments, doctors with bad hygiene and dr katz who frankly, has the easiest job in the world looking at x rays and doing no real dental work...
ReplyDelete