Should I See an Elgin Emergency Dentist- Local Office Refusing Service

I don’t want to say where I’m writing from, but it’s not so far away that seeing an Elgin emergency dentist is out of the question. There’s really only one dental office in my town and I’ve apparently gotten myself blacklisted from it. Last time I was in was a little over a year ago and I didn’t realize there was a balance left over. I really don’t know the details about it, but I never got a bill from them or I would have paid it. Now I’ve got this toothache on my lower right side and I need to get t checked out- sooner rather than later. I called the office to book an appointment and they told me I had to pay my old balance before they’d schedule me. It’s over $600. I don’t have the money, but I think it’s not only crummy, but also unethical, for them to deny me treatment. Do I have grounds to compel them to see me or should I let it be and go see an Elgin emergency dentist instead?

Thanks,

Carlos

Dear Carlos,

This probably isn’t what you want to hear, but dental offices can indeed “fire” patients. However, they have ethical considerations. They should notify you and continue seeing you for a reasonable amount of time while you search for a new office. If you didn’t get their bills, perhaps you didn’t get their farewell letter either. Or, maybe they didn’t send you one, in which case, denying you treatment isn’t fair.

That’s not really the issue, though. You could possibly try to compel them to see you, but it’s hard to do so without causing some kind of hard feelings. It’s doubtful you’d be happy there, even in the short term. Perhaps, instead, you could try to offer to pay a portion of the bill, as a sign of good faith, and make sure your contact information is current with them, so the lines of communication stay open. Depending on how far away from Elgin you are, it might be worth your time to book with an Elgin emergency dentist for now and try to get your account with them back into good standing for your long-term needs if you had a good relationship with the staff up until now.

Toothaches tend to be progressive, so you should get it addressed soon. Best of luck to you.

This blog is sponsored byElgin dentist, Dr. Steve Sirin.