There are unscrupulous people in any profession and dentistry is no different. However fraud in the dentistry is different because the victim usually never finds out. The following are different types of fraud: Performing unnecessary treatment, billing for treatment not performed, upcoding (coding a procedure as more complicated than it was), and unbundling (breaking a procedure into parts so it cost more).
The dental consumer can protect themselves in the following ways: Always get an estimate before treatment. Ask questions about the estimate & have it explained. Ask to see the x-rays and or photos. Ask questions about the procedure. Ask for copies of findings and x-rays. Watch body language and attitude. Don’t hesitate to get second opinion.